Author: Editor

Posted on

Traffic through the village; 7.5-tonne restrictions and rat-run drivers: an update

Following the Annual Parish Meeting in the village hall on Thursday 16 April, and a subsequent meeting between Chris Bailey (Chair, Parish Council) and Sergeant Greg Harrison (Northampton Police), the following steps are being put in place.

HGV traffic
1. Sergeant Harrison has made a request to WNC Highways for some additional 7.5-tonne limit signs when turning right after the roundabout at Brixworth.

2. The police will periodically be at the entrances to the village from both Sywell Roundabout and Brixworth Road. Lorries in excess of 7.5 tonnes travelling through the village, without making a stop, will be issued with a fine of £50. Companies frequently caught flouting the regulations will be contacted and, if this fails to stop the lorries, the Traffic Commissioner will be contacted to take action.

3. To give this maximum impact, Sergeant Harrison would like as many people as possible in the village to sign up for Northamptonshire Talking. You can sign up here and use this site to highlight traffic issues. In this way, we can help isolate and record the worst times and days for the HGVs. (Sergeant Harrison has volunteered to come to the next Parish Council meeting to explain.

Rat-run drivers
1. Sergeant Harrison will also organise a periodical police presence along Poplars Lane and Back Lane to deal with speeding, rat-run drivers.

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These are all positive moves and to be welcomed. And the more we can do to support this by pushing back and reporting drivers that flout the rules and disrespect our village, the more likely it is that these preventative measures will work.

Vive la révolution!

Posted on

Green Hill Solar Farm: Stuart Andrew, MP, speaks up for local residents

Whether for, against or ambivalent, this article – with its supporting video – is worth looking at.

In particular, between the 5:15 and 5:45 points in the video, Stuart reiterates the opinion held by many residents who support the concept of solar power, but oppose the proposed sites.

That opinion being, that solar panels should be placed on the roofs of warehouses*, industrial units, storage facilities, shopping malls, covered car parks and the like. And not, as is currently proposed, on greenfield and viable agricultural land.

Find out more here.

* According to 2022 data from the Office of National Statistics, there are 3,200 transport and storage premises in West Northamptonshire, with a further 2,700 in North Northamptonshire. So, 5,900 flat roofs. Each of at least 300,000 square feet (source: Savills). 300,000 square feet = almost 7 acres. So, 7 x 5,900 = 41,300 acres.

With this sort of acreage already available, should anyone really be talking about using greenfield and viable agricultural land for solar-energy generation?