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Weekley Hall Woods: Kettering warehouse decision deferred

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Hundreds of people, including Angie Goodfellow and Julie Wilson, attended a protest inside and outside the meeting at council offices in Kettering

Protestors gathered at a meeting where a decision on building a warehouse on woodland was deferred.

Conservative-run North Northamptonshire Council voted to delay discussions about the development at Weekley Hall Woods in Kettering.

The proposal by IM Kelly Automotive was for land next to its existing site.

The Green Party's Dez Dell said it showed people were "just not up for having any more warehouses built on their woodland".

BBC Northamptonshire political reporter Laura Coffey said there were "cheers inside and outside the council chamber" after the unanimous vote.

Protestors at Weekley Hall Woods demonstration
Cheers were heard inside and outside the council chamber after the vote

Council officers had recommended that Thursday's planning committee approved the plans when it met in Kettering.

The seven committee members instead voted unanimously to defer any decision.

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Campaigners were also fighting against plans for five other large new warehouses at Weekley Hall Woods
Weekley Hall Woods protest
Tate Eppey and Olivia Miller were among those protesting, with campaigners arguing the application goes against North Northamptonshire Council's recently introduced climate emergency policy

Members of the Save Weekley Hall Woods campaign group gathered inside and outside the meeting to oppose the plans.

The group was formed to oppose separate plans for five large warehouses, proposed by Buccleuch Estates, at the woodland.

Weekley Hall Woods protest
Skye Blissett, Bev Wright and Catherine Abraham joined the protest

It has garnered such support that Mr Dell and two other Green Party members were successfully elected to North Northamptonshire Council earlier this year on the back of the campaign.

Mr Dell, who stepped down from the planning committee for this meeting, said Thursday's protest had "shown the council and developers how much support the campaign has".

Campaigner Tate Eppay said the deferral was better than the proposal being approved, but said a "complete refusal" was needed.

"It's ridiculous it is even being considered," she said.

The developers said the plans would create 150 jobs.

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The Green Party had three councillors elected to North Northamptonshire Council on the back of the Save Weekley Hall Woods campaign
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