Keep in touch with what's going on

IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR UPPER AND LOWER BODDINGTON RESIDENTS

HAVE YOUR SAY ON THE WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE LOCAL PLAN

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is consulting on its new Local Plan, which will help shape development in our area up to 2043. The Local Plan will influence future housing development and planning decisions for many years.

The consultation closes at 11.59 pm on Monday 16 November 2026.

What does this mean for Boddington?

WNC is proposing to change how our villages are classified:

• Upper Boddington – Secondary Service Village, with a proposed housing requirement of 28 new homes.
• Lower Boddington – Small Settlement/Hamlet, generally treated as open countryside for planning purposes.

Boddington Parish Council has raised concerns about these classifications and believes the previous approach of recognising Upper and Lower Boddington together as one small village is more appropriate.

What are the main concerns?

There are several questions about WNC's proposals, including:

• Public transport: Why is Upper Boddington classified as a Secondary Service Village when it has no bus service?
• The primary school: Is there enough evidence to show that additional housing is needed to support the school's future?
• Local services: Have the village's limited facilities, including the Post Office opening for just four hours a week, been properly considered?
• The two villages: Why are Upper and Lower Boddington being treated separately when they share facilities and have historically been linked?
• Consistency: Has WNC applied the same approach when assessing other villages?

Why is it important to respond?

This is a formal Regulation 19 consultation, which means responses need to explain why the Plan may not be legally compliant or may fail the official tests of soundness, rather than simply saying you disagree.

To assist residents to prepare their own personalised response rather than submitting identical letters a simple guide and template are available to download from the pc website, explaining the main concerns and providing references to WNC's own evidence.  

This is a simple guide showing how you need to respond to the consultation Download Simple Guide

This is a template that might help you to respond to the consultation Download the Template

How to respond :

Online: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/consultations/west-northamptonshire-pre-submission-local-plan-regulation-19-consultation

By email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please take the time to read the proposals and make your views known about the future of Upper and Lower Boddington and respond by the deadline of 11.59pm Monday 16 November 2026.

Boddington Parish Council would like to remind residents and landowners of the importance of keeping hedges, trees and other vegetation properly maintained where they border roads, pavements, footpaths or public rights of way.

Overgrown vegetation can obstruct pedestrians, reduce visibility for drivers and create difficulties for those using wheelchairs, mobility aids or pushchairs.

We kindly ask all residents and landowners to check vegetation adjoining their property or land and cut it back where necessary, ensuring that roads, footpaths and public rights of way remain clear and accessible.

Thank you for helping to keep Boddington safe, accessible and pleasant for everyone.