Boughton Village Matters Newsletter – Feb 2026
This newsletter is independent of the Parish Council. Please use the contact details in the newsletter for any queries
The Buckton Connection
This newsletter is independent of the Parish Council. Please use the contact details on the newsletter for any queries.
The Community Centre is currently being built but it is agreed in principle to let the Community Centre to Born to Shine based on a memorandum of understanding of shared goals. The lease will be formally signed upon completion of the Community Centre.
Potholes in Boughton
The Parish Council are aware of the significant number of potholes in the Parish.
The Lengthsman has reported the potholes via Fix My Street. Today, the Clerk has asked the Lengthsman to upload various photos (provided by a parishioner) to hopefully spur on repairs.
Details on how to report potholes can be found here: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/highway-maintenance/report-potholes-or-highway-problem Including details of how to report urgent issues via telephone.
WNC app also allows you to report various issues from highways to flytipping to flooding. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/about-website/app
WNC’s draft Local Plan (2026)
Parishioners will notice there has been little update about WNC’s draft Local Plan on our website since 2024. This is because when the Labour government came into power, WNC’s housing targets increased by 9,000 homes. This resulted in the Local Plan being re-drafted.
The updated draft Local Plan proposes the following for Boughton parish:-
- 1,500 houses for North of Buckton Fields;
- changes to the village confines;
- a housing target of 42 houses for the village up to the period 2043; and
- it introduces new policies about “green wedges”.
An eight week public consultation on the updated draft Local Plan will open on Thursday 29 January and run through to Saturday 28 March 2026. Boughton Parish Council will actively post updates when available.
WNC is hosting a series of public engagement events where people can find out more and share their views:
- 2 February – Moulton Community Centre, Moulton, NN3 7AX (1:30–4:30pm)
- 6 February – The Forum, Towcester, NN12 6AF (12–5pm)
- 10 February – Wootton Community Centre, Wootton, NN4 6ED (2–7:30pm)
- 11 February – Middleton Cheney Village Hall, Middleton Cheney, OX17 2LT (12–4:30pm)
- 12 February – Mercure Hotel, Daventry, NN11 0SG (3–6:30pm)
- 19 February – Grosvenor Centre, Northampton, NN1 2EW (12:30–4:30pm)
- 4 March – Long Buckby Community Centre, Long Buckby, NN6 7QB (3–7:30pm)
- 11 March – Brackley Town Hall, Brackley, NN13 7AB (12:30–6pm)
Councillor Vacancy to be considered on 16 February 2026
Since advertising the Councillor vacancy at the end of November 2025, the Parish Council have received one application.
The Council would like to formally consider co-option of a Councillor at the next Council meeting on 16th February 2026, 7pm at the Village Hall.
If you would like to be considered, then please formally apply by:-
- completing this form co-option_expression_of_interest_form; and
- returning it to clerk@boughtonparishcouncil.co.uk
- by 5pm on Wednesday 11th February 2026
(this will allow Councillors the opportunity to review applications before the meeting on Monday).
If you have any questions about the role or the co-option process, please contact the Parish Clerk via email or telephone (07918329763).
WNC’s draft Local Plan – proposes 1,500 houses north of Buckton Fields
WNC’s Planning Policy Committee meeting on 8th January 2025 will consider the draft Local Plan (Reg 18) and when it will go to public consultation. – the meeting papers can be found here:- https://westnorthants.moderngov.co.uk/mgChooseDocPack.aspx?ID=3056
UPDATE – it is expected to go to Public Consultation at the start of February 2026 for 8 weeks.
The Parish Council will consider the draft Local Plan in due course but as a brief outline the following aspects relate to Boughton Parish:-
- 1,500 houses are proposed for North of Buckton Fields under Policy N20 (below is a screenshot of Figure 16, page 186, taken from the draft Local Plan. The Council will request a better quality image for circulation).
- Boughton is defined as a Secondary Service Village under Policy R2 (previously it was proposed that Boughton would form part of Northampton Town for planning purposes – presumably this is no longer the case but the Council will seek clarification).
- under Policy R6 Boughton is to provide a minimum of 42 houses up to the year 2043 (this appears to be an additional allocation to the 1,500 proposed, the Council will seek clarification)
- It is proposed to amend the village confines to remove houses on Harborough Road North (below is a screenshot of the proposed boundary. The Council will request a better quality image for circulation).
Boughton Village Matters Newsletter – December 2025
This newsletter is independent of the Parish Council. Please use the contact details in the newsletter for any queries
December 25 Update – Resident’s request access from Buckton Fields to Fairmile is re-instated
See the Parish Council’s previous posts here:
- https://boughtonparishcouncil.co.uk/news/residents-request-access-from-buckton-fields-to-fairmile-is-re-instated
- https://boughtonparishcouncil.co.uk/news/update-on-residents-request-access-from-buckton-fields-to-fairmile-is-re-instated
At the Parish Council meeting on 17 November 2025, the Clerk reported:-
- the resident’s petition to reinstate the access has now reached 365 signatures
- the Clerk attended a meeting with representatives from WNC Planning, Bloor Homes and Kingsthorpe Parish Council on 9th October.
- Subsequently, WNC confirmed “there doesn’t appear to be any incidences of reported crime in the area”. Kingsthorpe Parish Council are meeting on 20th November with a recommendation to resolve that the fence should be removed.
At the meeting, the Council resolved to:- “note the resident’s online petition to reinstate the informal access has reached 365 signatures and it appears there are no incidences of reported crime in the area. With this in mind, Boughton Parish Council (BPC) strongly advocate that WNC take the appropriate steps to re-open the access. BPC rely upon the technical expertise of WNC Highways as to whether a safe route can be ascertained by simply taking the fence down. The Clerk is to send this response to the appropriate parties.”
WNC’s Planning officer has confirmed on 25th November 2025,
- “I note that both Parish Councils would like the fence erected by Bloor’s to be taken down to allow residents to informally cut through by developments.
- From a planning perspective, a footpath connection in this location was not envisaged as part of the development. The footpath link was further to the east, along Central Avenue. I appreciate this is some distance from Fair Mile.
- Following concerns from Councillors and a local resident and discussions with Planning, Bloor’s agreed to reinstall the fencing along their boundary to effectively block up the informal footpath link. It is difficult to confirm the approved boundary treatment along this boundary, but it appears to require the existing boundary and landscaping to be retained. I understand that it was residents who originally took down the fence as they wanted to created an informal access.
- If both Parish Councils wish for a formal footpath to be created, I would advise that you work together to submit a planning application which proposes this. This would allow you, as Parish Councils, to carry out informal consultation with neighbouring properties to seek their views on any such proposal. This would create a formal footpath linking both developments creating an extension to the existing footpath on the Fair Mile side and linking into proposed footpaths on the Buckton Fields side. I would suggest that you also liaise with Bloors regarding this.
- If this is something that both PC’s wish to peruse, I could arrange a Teams meeting and include Highways, possibly Bloors as well, so that you are fully aware what would need to be addressed as part of any application.”
The above update will be brought to the Parish Council at there next meeting on Monday 15th December.
Buckton Fields Community Centre to be leased to Born to Shine
The Parish Council resolved at their meeting on 17th November 2025 to instruct solicitors to prepare a lease of the Community Centre to Born to Shine.
The Lease will be for a 7-year term, with a break clause at year 3, peppercorn rent at £25pcm and a rent review after year 1, on the basis both parties sign a Memorandum of Understanding about shared goals.
The Council feel Born to Shine could create a thriving community hub given their proposed types of activities/programmes:
PLEASE NOTE, ALL THE PROGRAMMES ARE NOT GUARANTEED AT THIS STAGE BUT THE COUNCIL HAVE CONFIDENCE IN BORN TO SHINE’S PROPOSAL
- Parent & Child / Family Sessions
- Weekly “stay & play” mornings for pre-school children (0-4yrs) with caregivers — good for families moving into the area.
- After-school clubs: craft, youth club, lego etc.
- Family movie nights or “board-games and pizza” evenings.
- Parent meet-ups / café mornings: a space where new families can connect.
- Fitness / Health & Wellbeing
- Evening or weekend fitness classes: yoga, Pilates, circuit training suitable for adults (commuters likely home evenings).
- Healthy cooking workshops (especially useful for first-me buyers learning to cook) or “budget meals for families” sessions.
- Mindfulness or stress-management workshops (for busy professionals/commuters).
Local walking groups / outdoor nature club ulising the nearby green spaces.
- Community & Social Groups
- Book club / social coffee mornings for older adults or downsizers looking to meet
neighbours. - Crafting, knitting or gardening club.
- Film or quiz nights for all ages.
- Book club / social coffee mornings for older adults or downsizers looking to meet
- Learning & Development
- Digital-skills classes: online banking, using smart devices, safe internet for older
residents or new home-owners. - Career / commuuting support: since there are many commuters, maybe “working from
home” forums, remote-working meet-ups, shared-workspace drop-ins.
- Digital-skills classes: online banking, using smart devices, safe internet for older
- Children & Youth Focus
- Youth club nights (teenagers) with games console, pool table, social space.
- Planned outdoor activities (nature walks, sports) utilising the nearby open parkland (if
possible). - Skills workshops: e.g., cooking, first aid, budgeting etc.
- Sustainability / Green Living
- Utilising green space for growing, possible gardening clubs.
- Recycling / up-cycling workshops: making items from old items.
- Local “green commuting” groups: e.g., bike-share, walking-to-work meet-ups
WNC Highways – unlawfully installed marker posts or stones outside properties
The Parish Council have been informed by WNC Highways that they intend to write to properties in the parish which have unlawfully installed marker posts or stones on the grass verges outside the property boundary.
The Parish Council recognise parishioners have presumably done so, to protect the grass verges from being damaged. As Highways are the landowner of the grass verges, there is little the Parish Council can do.
As always, should Parishioners wish to raise an agenda item on the topic please email clerk@boughtonparishcouncil.co.uk