Rothwell North Working Party Annual Financial Report 2020

 

Rothwell North Working Party Annual Report 2020

 Rothwell North Working Party(RNWP) 

Report for year ending October 2020 

Membership: 

We currently have 13 members. In October 2019 Andy Browne was co-opted to fill the vacancy from last year. 

The Committee: 

Chair Peter Chapman 

Secretary Margaret Mossman 

Treasurer Marie Chapman until 22nd June 2020 Andy Browne from 22nd June 2020 

Outline of action: 

RNWP has continued to meet on a monthly basis meeting in either Rothwell Library or Desborough Library until the Coronovirus lockdown in March 2020 since when we have met online via Zoom. 

We sent letters to the Borough Councillors urging them to reject the planning application until acceptable access to the site could be agreed and members spoke at the meeting. Unfortunately, the application was passed. We continued to liaise with Persimmon and Kettering Borough Council in an effort to find a suitable access point for a haul road from the A6. Unfortunately agreement could not be obtained from one land-owner and Northamptonshire County Council Highways would not support a link road from the A6 at any other point. However, in response to our strong concerns Persimmon agreed to further lower the trigger point for constructing the link road to 150th house occupied or 3 years, whichever is first. Persimmon also made changes to the ANPR system to make it easier to record vehicles not following the designated route in response to our remarks about the gaps in their original plan. 

Some members represented RNWP at a joint meeting with KBC, Persimmon, Desborough Town Council and Rothwell Town Council where plans were discussed, questions raised and concerns aired. It was agreed that another such meeting should take place a few months after the start of construction. Construction began 17th February 2020. 

In February 2020 one of our members visited Persimmon in York to deliver letters to the Directors in a last attempt to get the link road layout reconsidered. We received no response. 

In March 2020 we were successful in gaining a grant from Desborough Town Council and although Coronovirus lockdown delayed the opening of an account, the grant of £600 was paid into our Market Harborough Building Society in August 2020. 

RNWP made the decision to continue as a group to ensure that construction continues with as much consideration for local residents as possible, and various issues raised by members of the public, such as excessive mud, vehicles waiting on the highway as well as HGVs not taking the designated route, have been reported to and discussed with the Project Manager. The new funding has enabled us to replace our banners with the new “Truck Watch” banners, designed to discourage all HGVs from coming through Rothwell or Desborough and not just those travelling to and from the Rothwell North site. We are also encouraging residents to report any vehicles they see disregarding the designated route and we continue to liaise with the Project Manager regarding local concerns regarding construction and the vehicles. 

Our Facebook page has continued to be a means of communication with residents and membership of that page has grown and stands at 390 as of 15th September 2020. 

Our campaign continues. 

Margaret Mossman 

15th September 2020