A509 Isham bypass: plans for new road put on hold

Plans for a long-awaited bypass have been put on hold because of delays plugging a funding gap.

The A509 Isham bypass between Wellingborough and Kettering was initially approved in 2006, and the scheme was given £25m by a local growth fund.

But attempts to find the extra £16m needed for the project have so far failed.

The authorities behind the project say it is still a priority for the county.

The delay means the scheme misses the timetable for the Government's Local Growth Fund programme and so can no longer access the funding.

The road project is a partnership between the Borough Council of Wellingborough (BCW), Northamptonshire County Council, and South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP).

Planning permission for the scheme was extended for a further 10 years in 2012.

People living in the Northamptonshire village, which has a population of about 800, estimate that 27,000 vehicles use the current road every working day.

Graham Rait from Isham, who has been campaigning for the scheme for 35 years, called the latest development "a monster step back".

Ian Morris, the county councillor responsible for highways said: "The Isham bypass remains a high priority scheme for the county council.

"There are a number of potential future funding streams which are likely to become available in the next few years, although the details of eligibility and timescales for these funds are not yet clear."

Martin Griffiths, leader of the Borough Council of Wellingborough, said he "understood" why the project could not proceed but acknowledged that it was "a blow for many local residents".

Hilary Chipping, chief executive of SEMLEP, said: "The team would continue to work closely with the local councils and other partners, including the Department for Transport, to source suitable funding so this important project can go ahead successfully."