Planning Permission Granted for 150 Homes on Former Co-op Site After Initial Rejection

The construction of 150 residences on the former Co-op supermarket location has received approval. This development proposal, situated on Alexandra Road in Corby, had previously faced rejection from councillors. However, the planning committee of North Northamptonshire Council reversed this decision on Wednesday. This reversal occurred after a legal advisor representing the local authority pointed out what they termed “procedural irregularities” and unclear voting outcomes during the preceding meeting. Hannah Pratt, a local resident residing close to the site, expressed that she and other community members were “disappointed.” She stated, “The council may have covered themselves legally, but ultimately it will never be seen as fair by our community.” Pratt further commented, “This application was put back through the process just because the planning committee meeting was so poorly managed, that they messed up the voting process at the first hearing on 30 October.” The proposals submitted by Glenrowan Homes feature a combination of “mainly one and two bedroom flats,” with architectural drawings indicating the structure would reach a maximum height of six storeys. Additionally, the plans incorporate commercial premises on the ground level. The location has been vacant since the supermarket ceased operations in 2016. The application had previously garnered a total of 43 letters of objection, among them one submitted by Lee Barron, the Labour MP for Corby. Concerns articulated included the imposing scale of the tall structures, potential effects on the privacy of current residents, and anticipated increases in traffic and parking difficulties. Alison Dalziel, a Labour committee member, voiced apprehension regarding the on-site provision for disabled parking spaces, stating it was “grossly undercalculated.” She commented on Wednesday night, “It just feels like really we’re compromising car parking spaces to get in the maximum number of flats that we can on that site.” During the initial meeting in October, Patrick Boyle, director of Glenrowan Homes, informed the committee: “We love Corby.” He continued, “We want to look after our people, we want to create jobs and we want to create homes we would like to buy ourselves.” Boyle added, “Corby needs housing. We share the vision of the council in that a signature building should be built on that site.”