Your input in to this process is vitally important.
Information document
Before October 31, download or complete the questionnaire on-line via http://www.westnorthamptonshirejpu.org, or download from http://www.northampton.gov.uk/downloads/WestNorthants-IssuesOptions-Questionnaire.pdf
Direct link to the questionnaire
We want you to respond to the questionnaire with YOUR views. As a club we would not expect you to fill it out in any set way. We recognise that the issues within the Core Strategy go far beyond Sixfields. However below, and for the record, we share our views which we hope you will consider when responding to the council.
If completing the questionnaire, on the first page, you are asked to consider the issues and options. We believe that an enhanced community stadium at Sixfields is an issue worth adding in the area where you are invited to PLEASE SPECIFY ANY OTHERS (issues)
Equally, on question 3, we believe that an enhanced community stadium would make Northampton a better place in the future
On the next page, various options for housing growth are offered. We believe that option 2 of the Northampton Implementation Area would make Sixfields more of a 'lived in' community.
As well as the questionnaire you may wish to read the full document.
On page 10 of the document entitled West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy, Issues and Options, the Joint Planning Unit identifies spatial objectives and asks a number of questions. We feel alongside issues such as transport and employment that "Leisure Provision" needs to be added and that should include an enhanced community stadium.
On page 17, of the document Question N6 asks 'How can we increase and improve Northampton's cultural image and identity?' We believe that a successful football league team playing in an enhanced community stadium can help achieve this.
On page 24, question SC2 asks if the JPU should work proactively with the owners and other relevant partners to secure the long term future of the British Grand Prix. We wish them well but as Northampton Borough Council also has a stated policy of protecting league football in Northampton, we believe equally that the JPU should work proactively with the football club to help us achieve the council's stated policy.
In addition to the questionnaire, we would also like you to send letters. Please mark your responses clearly "JOINT CORE STRATEGY ISSUES AND OPTIONS RESPONSE"
Send your correspondence to;
West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit
C/o Planning Policy Northampton Borough Council
FREEPOST MID17237
Northampton
NN1 1WJ
Fax 01604 838543
email; westnorthantsjpu@northampton.gov.uk
Letters and responses should be personal and valid within a planning context. However, we believe that the following points are worthy of consideration;
1) The land use around the stadium needs to change from the current 'leisure' use to a 'mixed retail/housing' use to enable development gains to pay for the stadium improvements.
The need for a town of Northampton's size to have a larger community stadium to host events needs to be reaffirmed.
The current determination for leisure use at Sixfields has failed beyond that which already exists. In order for Sixfields to become alive it needs people and new places - a mix of housing and lifestyle retail will increase footfall and make the area lived in rather than driven through.
The new link road is crying out for development which is accessible from it. A mix of retail and housing would be best suited to this site.
The segregation in other areas of the town of leisure, housing and retail has made areas sterile and under utilised. We need more mixed use planning to bring life to Sixfields on a 24 hour basis rather than it being simply a leisure time location.
The new housing already in the west of the town is underserved by not having access to retail like the east, north and south of the Town, it needs a district centre and some more affordable housing.
A town of Northampton's size (200,000 plus) needs a community stadium big enough to compete with neighbouring towns and cities. This has been realised recently by Milton Keynes using development gain to pay for a stadium which the whole city can enjoy. If we want to compete in Northampton then we have to do the same.
The football club has done a great job in providing education and community facilities at Sixfields for ALL of the town's communities, with a larger stadium they could achieve even more.
The new road at present seems to have no soul or focus, housing and or retail off of the Sixfields end would be welcome in my view.
In the 21st century, shopping in part is leisure, and the provision of retail within the Sixfields Leisure site would provide a more varied mix of activities for families visiting. Not everyone wants to go to the cinema or football and the opportunity to shop and have a coffee whilst other family members do go to the cinema or football would be welcome.
The use of enabling development funds to establish city stadia across the UK is well grounded and common practice. Retail and leisure work well together across many of these sites, Northampton should follow where others have succeeded in providing first class sports and community facilities paid for from the provision of retail enabling proceeds.
We want people to respond to the consultation because they want to, not just because we have asked. We know from the letters and comments made to us over a sustained period that the vast majority of the people in and around our town want to see us redevelop and improve the community stadium at Sixfields. Polls in the local press have repeatedly delivered figures of 80-95% of people to be in favour of our plans. But if we don't let the council know our views now then all the hard work of the past 4 years will have been wasted.
Please do your bit in responding to the Council's consultation, and then find someone else to do the same. The bigger the response the better our chances will be.
All regular visitors to the town can have their say - you do not have to be a resident of Northampton to take part.
