- Decision
- allowed, 22 September 2026
- Decided by
- Planning Inspector: M Chalk
- Authority
- North Northamptonshire (East Midlands)
- Appeal reference
- APP/M2840/W/25/3366988
- Application reference
- NE/23/01228/FUL
- Procedure
- hearing
- Development
- Mixed-use employment extension to an existing rural industrial estate, access improvements
- Site context
- settlement edge, open countryside
- Green Belt
- No
- Framework applied
- August 2026 NPPF
- Determinative policies
- N6
- Development plan policies
- North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy Policy 4, Raunds Neighbourhood Plan R16, R19
- Main issues
- effect on Special Protection Area
Summary
Extension of a rural industrial estate at Raunds, allowed on 22 Sep 2026 alongside the 86-home outline (APP-M2840-W-25-3366989). The council conceded rural location and open space; the SPA functionally-linked-land objection failed on uncontested one-winter survey evidence.
What made the difference
Same as the companion housing appeal: the council's own ecology advice that the land was not functionally linked, and no competing technical evidence. The 2026 Framework was held not to change the protected-sites approach, so parties were not consulted (DL ¶5).
Policy findings
Policy codes are those of the National Planning Policy Framework (August 2026) unless a development plan is named.
| Policy | Finding | Weight | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| N6 | pass | not functionally linked land to Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits SPA; one winter's survey sufficient (DL 8-11) | |
| E2 | accord | council withdrew rural-location objection after the Thrapston appeal (APP/M2840/W/25/3362393) led it to reconsider policy weight (DL 4; Costs DL 17) |
Key facts
- Companion to APP-M2840-W-25-3366989; same SPA reasoning and same transitional note (parties not consulted on the 2026 Framework)
- Full costs sought; award made against the council for the SPA handling
Related decisions
Sources
This note is one of the decisions behind the NPPF 2026 Navigator, which shows how each Framework test has been applied across all the decisions in the database. Also available as Markdown.