STOP WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL FROM SELLING OUR GREEN SPACE 
Protect Our Parks. Protect Our Safety. Protect Our Future.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is proposing to sell a vital piece of public green space off Ladybridge Drive so a developer can build an access road and substation for a new 92‑home estate at Milton Ham.

This affects everyone in West Hunsbury, Hunsbury Meadows and East Hunsbury, not just those nearby.

We are calling on WNC to STOP the sale, STOP the destruction of public green space, and STOP the construction of a road through a floodplain when safer, lower‑risk alternatives exist.

Why This Matters

1.  Loss of Public Green Space Across Northampton

If this park can be sold, any park can be.  Designated parks make up less than 1% of the borough’s land.   This sets a dangerous precedent: Public parks become disposable assets.

2.  Increased Flood Risk to Homes and Roads
The road  would cross Flood Zones 2 and 3, needing embankments and a flood lagoon.  Water could be pushed toward existing homes, roads, and Wootton Brook.  Flooding already affects the wider Hunsbury area — this will make it worse.

3.  Traffic, Safety and Congestion
Ladybridge Drive already queues daily.   The plans add 50+ peak‑hour vehicle movements, plus two or more years of construction traffic, and will affect many of the roads around the Hunsbury area.

4.  Wildlife Corridor Loss
The green space forms part of a continuous wildlife corridor linking: Hunsbury Hill,  Danes Camp and Milton Ham.  It supports bats, deer, amphibians, reptiles and birds. Destroying this corridor affects biodiversity across the entire Hunsbury landscape.

5.  The Council Ignored Its Own Nature Strategy
The sale appears to contradict the newly published Local Nature Recovery Strategy's priorities: protecting existing green spaces, reducing flood risk and supporting wildlife corridors.

Safer, Lower‑Risk Access Routes EXIST — But Were Ignored
Bellway’s own consultants confirmed that access from the A5123 is technically feasible. Towcester Road is also viable and lies in Flood Zone 1.  We have seen no evidence that all the routes were fully assessed for safety, flooding or wildlife impacts.

Alternatives appear to have been dismissed based on cost, not safety or policy.

We ask West Northamptonshire Council to:

STOP the sale of the Ladybridge Drive Green Space
REFUSE the access road through a floodplain
REQUIRE the developer to use a safer alternative route
RESPECT the Local Nature Recovery Strategy and protect designated parks

 
What YOU Can Do Right Now

✔️ Sign this petition - Your signature shows WNC that the wider community will not accept the loss of public green space.

✔️ Object to the planning application - Use planning reference 2026/3219/MAF on the WNC planning portal (WNC Planning register ). Tell the Council how this affects YOU — flooding, traffic, safety, loss of nature.  Please note: deadline for comments has now been extended to the 26th October.

✔️Join the protest  - Thursday 26 November, 16:00 at the Guildhall, St Giles Street, Northampton, NN1 1 DE.   Your presence matters.

✔️Stay informed -  Join the Facebook Group "Save our Green Space (by Ladybridge Drive / Teal Close)" or email SaveLadybridgeDrive@gmail.com  We will keep you informed about decisions, the protest, and next steps.

TOGETHER WE CAN PROTECT THIS GREEN SPACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OUR WILDLIFE AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.