In January 2010 the Government announced the outcome of its Five Year Review of the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC).
The review recognised that the Development Control decision-making powers held by WNDC should be returned to the relevant local planning authorities (Northampton Borough Council, Daventry District Council, South Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire County Council). The planning responsibilities are being returned on a phased basis, and the first stage took effect on 1st April 2011.
Following this transfer, WNDC deals with all applications and associated submissions above the revised thresholds set out below. Fundamentally, the Corporation only has responsibility for planning applications of a large, strategic nature across its development area.
| Development Type | Threshold |
| Residential |
|
| Mixed Use (developments involving more than one land use e.g residential and commercial, retail and employment) |
|
| Class A (shops)Class A3 (restaurants)
Class A4 (drinking establishments) Class A5 (hot food takeaways) Class B1 (business) Class B2 (general industrial) Class B8 (storage or distribution) Class C2 (residential institutions) Class D1 (non-residential institutions) Class D2 (assembly or leisure) |
Development which comprises, or includes the provision of, or is likely to result in the loss of 2,500 square metres of floorspace or more |
| Class B1 (offices, research and development, light industrial)
Class B2 (general industrial) Class B8 (storage and distribution) Class D2 (assembly or leisure) |
Development which comprises, or includes the provision of one of these uses where the development occupies 2 hectares of land or more |
| Transport(a)An aircraft runway, airfield or aerodrome
(b)A heliport (including a helipad on a building) (c)An air passenger terminal (d)A railway station (e)A tramway, an underground, surface or elevated railway, or a cable car (f)A bus or coach station (g)A waterway, river or canal crossing or pier (h)Any highway (other than a bridleway, cycle way or footpath) where the development forms part of a development specified in this table. |
Development which comprises, or includes the provision of, or extends this type of development . |
| Development affecting playing field(s) | Development which occupies 2 hectares of land or more, which:(a) Is likely to prejudice the use, or lead to the loss of land being used as a playing field.
(b) Is on land which has been used as a playing field at any time in the 5 years prior to the submission of the relevant application for planning permission and which remains undeveloped. (c) Is on land which has been allocated for use as a playing field in a development plan, or in proposals for such a plan, or its alteration or replacement. |