Draft order P2106

Statement of reasons P2106

North Northamptonshire Council Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984

North Northamptonshire Council (A14, Junction 7, Circulatory, Kettering) (40 miles per hour speed limit) Order 2025

Statement of reasons

North Northamptonshire Council proposes to make the North Northamptonshire Council (A14 Junction 7 Circulatory, Kettering) (40 Miles Per Hour Speed Limit) Order for the following reasons:

1. To improve road safety for all users on and approaching the A14 Junction 7 circulatory. The current national speed limit on parts of the circulatory and approach roads does not reflect the layout, traffic volumes, or the level of merging and diverging movements at this junction.
2. To reduce the likelihood of collisions, particularly those associated with high approach speeds, lane-changing, and merging conflicts on the circulatory and connecting roads.
3. To ensure more consistent vehicle speeds, providing safer conditions for drivers entering and negotiating the roundabout from the A14 slip roads, the A43 approaches, and Henson Way.
4. To support the efficient and orderly movement of traffic, in accordance with the Council’s duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, by regulating speeds at a level appropriate for the geometry and operational characteristics of the junction.
5. To address concerns identified through highway safety assessment, which identified that a lower speed environment would provide a measurable improvement in safety performance and reduce the risk of serious collisions.
6. To update and replace historic speed limit Orders, ensuring that the legal speed limit reflects the current layout of the highway network in this location.

The council considers that introducing a 40 miles per hour speed limit on the A14 Junction 7 circulatory and its immediate approaches is necessary, proportionate, and in the interests of road safety and traffic management.

Last updated 28 November 2025