Guidance on how to protect valley moves forward

Plans to strengthen protection of a valley that is home to thousands of migrating birds from the impact of development are being considered.

The Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area (SPA) spans 1,358 hectares in Northamptonshire and is internationally recognised for its importance to wintering birds, in particular golden plover, lapwing and bittern.

A North Northamptonshire Council meeting discussed new evidence which identified that residential development within 5.9km of the SPA was likely to result in "adverse effects".

However, the current strategy only has mitigation for residential developments within 3km.

The SPA covers various sites in the valley near Northampton, Wellingborough, Rushden and Thrapston.

The new guidance and an updated mitigation strategy has been proposed to replace the existing guidance at both North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire councils.

North Northamptonshire's Executive reviewed the proposals on Tuesday, to be followed by West Northamptonshire's Planning Policy Committee on Wednesday.

Jan O'Hara, North Northamptonshire's Executive Member for Planning and Economic Growth, said: "This new guidance will help mitigate the impact of development on wildlife and ensure everyone is on the same page with how we can protect the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area."

Thomas Manning, Cabinet Member for Planning at West Northants, said protecting the gravel pits was "vital".

"It is an internationally important site for wildlife, particularly for birds that rely on it during the winter," he said.

The draft guidance was published for public consultation earlier this year.

Residents, town and parish councils, developers, environmental organisations and statutory bodies all had a chance to have their say.

A North Northamptonshire spokesperson said: "There was strong support for the overall aim of protecting the SPA, particularly given its international importance.

"At the same time, respondents provided detailed feedback on how the guidance could be improved, including requests for greater clarity, stronger explanations of the legal framework and more detail on how the guidance would be applied in practice."

Manning added: "The responses we received during consultation were thoughtful and constructive. They have helped us strengthen the guidance, making it clearer, more robust and easier to use.

"This means we now have a consistent approach that supports growth while making sure we meet our responsibilities to protect this special environment."

The strategy includes measures to manage visitor pressure and protect habitats, funded through contributions from new development.

This will support long-term conservation while allowing sustainable growth, the North Northants Council spokesperson added.

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