Former Northampton factory to be demolished as affordable housing scheme wins planning permission

A former factory in St James will be demolished to make way for 20 new affordable homes after councillors granted the scheme planning permission.The St James Works site, on Vicarage Road, was partially demolished due to a fire a few years ago, but will now be bulldozed in its entirety.The site, which was dubbed a ‘longstanding eyesore’ by ward councillor Gareth Eales, is in between St James Primary School and Baring Road. It had previously been used for paper recycling and also as a car breakers.Members of Northampton Borough Council’s planning committee met at The Guildhall last night (May 7), and heard from Dominic Kramer, who was speaking on behalf of architects Morton Wykes Kramer Ltd, and the applicant Waterloo Housing Group.The development will include seven two-bedroom and nine three-bedroom houses, as well as four two-bedroom maisonettes. All of the dwellings would be two storeys high, and classed as ‘affordable homes’. A new access to the site would be constructed from Vicarage Road, and 37 car parking spaces would be provided.Members of the planning committee were gushing in their praise over the design of the scheme, and quickly approved it unanimously.