North Northamptonshire Council Submits Business Case for Long-Awaited Bypass

The submission of an outline business case by North Northamptonshire Council marks an “important milestone” for the planned long-awaited village bypass project. For decades, campaigners have advocated for the construction of this road around Isham, which is situated near Kettering. According to the Conservative-controlled council, the business case is a necessary step for the government to verify the project’s ongoing financial viability. Pending planning permission, anticipated to be reviewed by committee early next year, construction is scheduled to commence in April 2027, with the 2.3-mile (3.75km) bypass projected to open in March 2029. The bypass’s starting point will be the new Symmetry Park roundabout, currently under construction south of junction nine on the A14. Its route will proceed west of Isham before connecting with the A509 Kettering Road at a point midway between Hill Top and Great Harrowden. The concept of this bypass has existed since 2001; however, disagreements regarding its route and funding issues have previously caused project delays. The submitted business case requests £4.346m from the government and £2.172m from the council, amounting to a total of £6.518m, to advance the scheme to the construction-ready phase. In the previous year, the former government had committed to fully funding the road’s construction costs to stimulate economic growth within the region. Matt Binley, the Conservative executive for highways, travel and assets, stated: “Submitting an outline business case is an important milestone to reach for this project and I’m delighted to announce that we’ve made our submission to government.” He added: “This scheme has been wanted by local residents for a very long time and we’re determined to make this a reality for them.” Jason Smithers, the Conservative leader of the authority, commented: “This project is one of our major priorities as a council and I’m determined that we see it through to completion.” In its recent Budget, the government cancelled several road projects throughout England, such as a tunnel near Stonehenge, the £50m Vauxhall Roundabout work on the Norfolk coast, and the duelling of the A1 in Northumberland. For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.