Major highways projects

Improvements to the Round Spinney roundabout (phase 1a) were completed in 2015. These resulted in increased capacity at this junction and improved traffic flow.

Phase 2 was a dualling of the section north of the Moulton roundabout to a new junction near Overstone Grange. This was opened to traffic in early 2018.

Phase 1b was fully opened for traffic in June 2020. This provided a new road between the Round Spinney and Moulton roundabouts bypassing the existing road.

Phase 3 is intended to extend the dualling to the Holcot and Sywell roundabout. A bid for Government funding towards this phase was submitted in 2016 but was not successful.

A bid for Major Road Network funding to construct this section was submitted in August 2019. We are now developing a Strategic Outline Business Case to support this submission.

Further phases will be needed to complete the dualling through to the A14 but have not yet been determined.

Public consultation

Consultation and examination hearings for the West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy highlighted the view of the local community. Improvements to the A43, among other measures, are necessary to support the proposed development at Northampton North.

Scheme cost and funding

Phase 2 was constructed within its budget of £9.25m. It was comprised of:

• £6.5m of government funding secured through the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP) and
• £2.75m of Section 106 funding from the Overstone Leys development

Phase 1b was constructed within its budget of £17.5m. This included:

• £7.9m of government funding through the SEMLEP Local Growth Deal, and
• £4.1m of Section 106 funding

Phase 3 has an estimated cost of £23.7m. A bid for £19.2m of Department for Transport Major Road Network funding is also being progressed.

The Isham Bypass scheme is for a proposed dual carriageway, starting from the Symmetry Park roundabout, running in a southerly direction west of the village of Isham, and re-joining the A509 Kettering Road midway between Hill Top and Great Harrowden.

This will reduce congestion on the A509, improve transport links between Kettering and Wellingborough by helping to meet the needs of growth in the two towns, improve access from Wellingborough to the A14, and relieve some through traffic.

There will be roundabout junctions at the:

• existing A509 Kettering Road (the Symmetry Park roundabout), south of the A14 Pytchley roundabout
• B574 Hill Top Road

The A509 is an important primary route in Northamptonshire providing a north / south link between the A14 and A45 trunk roads, serving Kettering and Wellingborough and destinations towards the southwest.

Benefits of the scheme

The bypass will:

• reduce congestion on the existing A509 through the village of Isham
• improve transport links between Kettering and Wellingborough by helping to meet the needs of growth in the two towns and
• improve access from Wellingborough to the A14

Consultations

July 2022

Consultation for the A509 Isham Bypass scheme has now closed.

The consultation period ran from Friday 15 July 2022 to 11.59pm on Friday 26 August 2022.

We will now collate the feedback and prepare a report on the findings, which will be published in due course.

November 2001

Consultation on the scheme with stakeholders and the public started in November 2001. Following further refinement, a preferred route was agreed by the Northamptonshire County Council Cabinet in May 2003.

Update - February 2023

A bid for Major Road Network funding was submitted to the Department for Transport in March 2020 and they invited us to progress this by submitting a Strategic Outline Business Case, which was done in December 2020. The Borough Council of Wellingborough provided funding to progress the necessary work on the scheme.

The first section of the road, south of the A14, has been constructed as part of the DB Symmetry development adjacent to A14 junction 9.

£1.859m of funding from the Department of Transport was secured in October 2021 towards the next stages of developing the proposals for the bypass.

The council’s Executive agreed in June 2022 to amend the preferred route of the scheme to tie into the roundabout being constructed as part of the DB Symmetry development adjacent to A14 junction 9.

There are two main elements to the work, preparation of the:

• planning application for submission in July 2023
• Outline Business Case for submission to DfT in July 2023 shortly after submission of the planning application

The main work involved in the planning application is the preparation of the environmental statement, which involves extensive ecological surveys which have to be conducted at the correct time of year for the species or habitat involved. The July 2023 dates are later than previously expected as more work has been required than originally expected.

Alongside both the business case and the planning application there will also be an update to the design of the scheme.

Once planning permission is obtained, the next stages are the detailed design of the road, and obtaining compulsory purchase powers for the land required for construction. Our current expectation is that construction of the road could start in July 2025 with opening in July 2027. However, this will be dependent on whether objections are received to the Compulsory Purchase Orders and whether it is necessary to hold a public inquiry.