Ensuring the supply of new homes meets demand has been an enduring problem for the UK.
Faced with daunting forecasts of an ever worsening housing crisis, the Government launched the Sustainable Communities Plan in 2003. It was the bedrock of a national aspiration to build new homes and attract jobs where they were needed most.
“In its first five years, WNDC focused on the creation of new homes and better jobs.”
Under this wide-reaching plan, four key Growth Areas were earmarked to ease pressure on the ‘overheating’ South East of England. With its ideal location and transport links, the potential of West Northamptonshire was quickly identified. As part of the Milton Keynes South Midlands Growth Area, it was tasked to deliver over 47,000 new homes and at least 37,000 new jobs in just 20 years.
To tackle this exceptional challenge, WNDC was mobilised in December 2004. From the onset, it needed to balance the needs of a national growth agenda with local concerns. Namely, ensuring quality design, securing funding for infrastructure, and prioritising new jobs alongside more houses. With these issues at the top of its list, WNDC worked in partnership with the local authorities to move from aspiration to action. This meant investing in local infrastructure ranging from the award winning Upton Flood Mitigation Scheme to the redevelopment of Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre. It also meant ensuring that the cost of new infrastructure was shared with developers. West Northamptonshire was to have one of the most advanced planning obligations strategies in the UK, eventually helping it to secure over £50m in developer contributions to infrastructure.
During this period, WNDC’s planning service was a core component of the business, with over 25,000 new homes in live planning applications. Additionally, major commercial developments, ranging from the Avon Cosmetics European Headquarters to Sainsbury’s Zero Carbon Distribution Centre at Pineham, were approved by WNDC. In total, the planning service approved almost 2m sqm of commercial development, safeguarding thousands of jobs, while raising the bar for design quality.
But the winds of change had only just started to swirl. An unprecedented change in market conditions would lead to a re-focusing of the Corporation’s role, priorities and powers.
