4 The Spatial Portrait - Where We Are Now
Spatial Portrait Summary
4.0.1 West Northamptonshire sits at the crossroads of the East and West Midlands regions well within the influence of the economy of London. The capital's influence on the area will persist throughout the plan period and beyond. West Northamptonshire is set to receive a significant amount of growth with around 62,000 new dwellings and over 37,000 new jobs between 2001 and 2026. It requires considerable investment in transport, utilities, health, and other social infrastructure to support this growth and ensure vital towns and rural areas. The people of the area come from diverse social groupings and bring a wide range of skills and qualities to the areas' economy and social life.
4.0.2 West Northamptonshire has:
- Excellent connections to the rest of the country and mainland Europe particularly by road - contrasting with increasing congestion.
- Attractive rural landscapes typified by mixed agricultural use, woodland and country houses together with many rivers, lakes, reservoirs and canals that also characterise its towns.
- A strongly defined settlement pattern with Northampton as the primary and County town, market towns and villages.
- High levels of car ownership and car usage.
- A broad based economy with high economic activity rates.
- High house prices in some parts of the area, but in comparison with national prices affordability is relatively good, particularly given the close proximity to the south east of England.
- Areas of high incomes and wealth contrasting with areas of significant deprivation particularly in Northampton and Daventry.
- Wide ranging cultural and sporting facilities, including international assets such as the Silverstone race circuit.
Key Matters for the Strategy
4.0.3 The need to accommodate growth is not a choice - the area is a national growth area and this growth must be managed to benefit existing and future residents, visitors and businesses.
4.0.4 Elements of the existing infrastructure in West Northamptonshire are at or close to capacity. Compared to the growth sought, the infrastructure capacity would be inadequate in terms of transport and utilities - the strategy will address this need to support additional growth with the appropriate physical, social and green infrastructure and its delivery is reliant upon a host of public sector partners. Investment is needed to ensure that the towns do not become so congested that it affects economic performance or diminishes the quality of life to the extent that it becomes an unattractive place to live.
4.0.5 Some parts of the towns have a need, and great potential for regeneration, renewal and revitalisation which the strategy will address. These include the north western and north eastern arcs of Northampton, (for renewal) the town centre of Northampton (for regeneration) and the commercial town centres of Towcester, Brackely and Daventry (for revitalisation). In addition the smaller local commercial centres of Northampton require improvement.
4.0.6 Competition with other towns in the locality means that the commercial centres lose potential trade to other towns and retail parks. For example, Northampton loses significant trade to its many out-of-town retail parks and to other centres particularly Milton Keynes, yet could provide a very different offer in terms of its retail and leisure experience. Similarly Daventry needs to maintain its position in relation to its near neighbours as they grow, for example, Northampton, Rugby, Banbury and Milton Keynes. This will be addressed in the strategy.
4.0.7 The connections between and within some of the towns need to be improved to make the area an effectively functioning network, not least at the neighbourhood level where non-car based transport can be used much more for local trips - this too will be addressed.
4.0.8 Some of the towns in West Northamptonshire would benefit from enhanced cultural and social facilities, namely in Northampton and Towcester. This will be addressed in the strategy.
4.0.9 Finally, the need to manage the impacts of climate change and reduce the environmental impact, and footprint of development and activities in the area is pressing. The Strategy will address these matters in a coherent manner.
The Spatial Portrait
4.0.10 West Northamptonshire is located in southern central England within the East Midlands region. It is in the western sector of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands Sub-Region growth area, and lies within the influence of Greater London. It covers the area bounded by Northampton Borough Council, Daventry District Council and South Northamptonshire Council.
4.0.11 In 2007 the population of West Northamptonshire was 372,200 – around 8% of the total population of the East Midlands region. By 2026 this is expected to grow by around 92,000 to 464,200.
4.0.12 Due to its strategic location West Northamptonshire has historically experienced significant in-migration, particularly from London and Birmingham. Much of this in-migration was a result of Northampton’s and Daventry’s planned town expansions in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
4.0.13 The area has an above average youth population and a below average older population. The area’s growth will be strongly led by in-migration from other parts of the country and by significant local population growth (with increasingly more births than deaths).
4.0.14 All of the South Northamptonshire District falls within the 80% least deprived parts of the UK. Much of Daventry District falls within the 60% least deprived areas in the country with the exception of a small pocket of deprivation in Daventry town. In contrast, Northampton Borough contains significant pockets of deprivation in central and eastern areas, with 16 Wards that are among the most deprived 20% in the country. There are a number of social and economic issues facing some neighbourhoods.
4.0.15 West Northamptonshire is a large geographical area containing a diverse range of places including remote hamlets in sparsely populated areas, the historic market towns of Brackley and Towcester, the growing town of Daventry and the large, densely populated town of Northampton. Settlements in West Northamptonshire are influenced by, and in turn influence, many surrounding urban areas such as Milton Keynes, Leicester, Banbury, Oxford, Bedford, Rugby, Wellingborough and Kettering.
4.0.16 Northampton, as the County Town, is the principal town in West Northamptonshire, and is the area’s employment, retail and cultural centre. It has a population of over 202,000 people (Office of National Statistics 2007 mid-year estimate). It has a town centre and two significant district centres: in the north (Kingsthorpe) and east (Weston Favell). The town centre currently provides a limited retail offer and requires major new investment in its retail provision; new offices; public realm improvements (phase one has already been completed) and improved accessibility. Central areas of Northampton and other districts are in urgent need of housing improvement led regeneration.
4.0.17 With Government and Regional policy focusing on Northampton’s role within the Growth Area there is a compelling need for a major step change in the delivery of an attractive, lively and commercially successful town centre.
4.0.18 Daventry is a Market Town with a population of around 25,000. The town experienced significant expansion in the 1960s and 1970s as a result of its designation as an overspill town for Birmingham and London, although the level and speed of growth did not live up to expectations. The town is now set to experience a second phase of major expansion.
4.0.19 Towcester is the oldest town in Northamptonshire with a population of about 10,000. The town has experienced significant housing expansion in recent years but without corresponding growth in jobs and infrastructure. It has high levels of out-commuting and poor air quality within the town centre. The nationally protected Easton Neston Historic Park and Garden and Towcester Racecourse lie to the east of the town.
4.0.20 Brackley is also an historic market town. It has a population of about 14,000 and has experienced extensive housing expansion over the last 20-years without corresponding growth in jobs and infrastructure. Although Brackley does have greater employment opportunities than Towcester, there has been a demonstrable decline in the number of retail outlets in the town, and a rise in private car use. Residents are now increasingly travelling to the neighbouring larger towns of Banbury, Oxford and Milton Keynes.
4.0.21 Apart from these towns, West Northamptonshire is largely rural in character with a dispersed network of almost 190 villages and hamlets. These villages have changed considerably over the last 20–30 years. Many traditional rural jobs no longer exist and residents are increasingly commuting long distances to urban areas for work. House prices have risen dramatically in the last ten-years, which has meant that many village properties are now unaffordable for local people. The villages fall into distinct groupings, where some have a wide range of services and facilities, many have a limited choice, and some have no facilities at all. The overall appearance of wealth masks pockets of rural deprivation.
4.0.22 In Northampton, 80% of people both live and work within the Borough, with the majority of trips being less than 5km. The modal split for journeys to work within Northampton is dominated by car trips with in excess of 61% of trips being made by private vehicles equating to almost 59,000 trips on the network. The trips made outside of the Borough are to a number of locations, including Milton Keynes, where public transport presently only makes up 4% of the inter-urban trips.
4.0.23 48% of Daventry District residents live and work within the district, however a further 42% work within Northamptonshire, predominantly within Northampton. At present the movement between these two towns is the second highest within the whole of the Milton Keynes South Midlands region, yet only 4% of the trips are made by bus.
4.0.24 Both South Northamptonshire and Daventry Districts are mainly rural. It is therefore unsurprising that the predominant mode of transport is by private car. Unlike Daventry and Northampton, where a large proportion of trips (almost 90%) are contained within Northamptonshire, 32% of people travel outside of the county from South Northamptonshire. Key destinations include Cherwell Valley (Oxfordshire) and Milton Keynes. The flows to Milton Keynes are presently comprised of only a 1% share of trips by public transport.
4.0.25 Sport, leisure and recreation in West Northamptonshire contribute to the overall health and well-being of the population. Northampton is home to a range of high quality professional sports clubs including league rugby union, league football and county cricket, as well as amateur formal sports and informal recreation. Northampton’s extensive network of parks and open spaces provides an important resource for both residents and visitors. However, there is insufficient play space and outdoor sports provision for children and young people.
4.0.26 West Northamptonshire is set to deliver a significant amount of growth with an increase of 62,125 homes and 37,200 jobs between 2001 and 2026. Accommodating this planned growth will require a major increase in capacity of the current infrastructure. This needs to include significant investment in public transport, new roads, utilities (including trunk sewer improvements and increasing the capacity of water treatment facilities), and health and emergency services. It will also mean investing in social infrastructure such as cultural and community facilities, children’s play spaces and libraries.
4.0.27 The essential infrastructure needed to enable the scale of growth required by the East Midlands Regional Plan to be delivered is not an option.
4.0.28 The positive role of government, Highways Agency, West Northamptonshire Development Corporation, Homes and Community Agency and others will be critical to the delivery of the ambitious growth agenda for West Northamptonshire.