Kettering Borough Council has acquired the former Kettering Cars site, on the corner of Northampton Road and Northfield Avenue, as part of its plans to deliver a series of transport improvements in Kettering town centre.
The majority of the site will now be dedicated as highway land to enable Northamptonshire County Council to start work on enhancements to this road junction in 2010.
These improvement works represent the first stage of Kettering’s town centre transport strategy and will reduce congestion at one of the busiest junctions in town.
Residents and local businesses will also benefit from:
• Improved traffic flow around the area
• Safer and more convenient routes to and from town
• Improved bus reliability, reduced vehicle emissions and lower accident rates
• Traffic flow away from the town centre at busy times via increased arterial
flow and improved ease of access around the retail hub of Kettering
• Pedestrian and cycle crossing facilities
The Kettering Cars site was acquired with money made available from the government’s Growth Area Fund, managed for Northamptonshire by the North Northants Development Company (NNDC).
A new junction design is now being worked up by Northamptonshire County Council, with a view to the improvements being in place by March 2011. These highway improvements will also be delivered as a result of Growth Area Funding.
Cllr Mark Dearing, portfolio holder for the economy and regeneration at Kettering Borough Council said:
“Kettering Borough Council is pleased that this first step in delivering the town centre transport strategy, unveiled this autumn, is underway with the acquisition of this site. The Borough Council will continue to work closely with the County Council on the design of the new junction at Northfield Avenue and Northampton Road, with a view to an early completion of this scheme, allowing us to move on to the next scheme. It is also good to know that this money comes from a government grant for this important improvement rather than local council taxpayers’ money.”
Cllr Heather Smith, Northamptonshire County Council Cabinet Member for Environment, Growth & Transport, said:
“The County Council is working closing with Kettering Borough Council to implement a series of transport improvements identified in the Kettering Town Transport Strategy. The improvement planned at the Junction of Northampton Road and Northfield Avenue, will be the first of these schemes to be put in on the ground and will help improve traffic flow at one of the County’s most congested junctions. It is also proposed to provide crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists at the junction, from Northfield Avenue to the Train Station, which do not currently exist, providing a real benefit to all road users.”
Simon Evans, Chief Executive of NNDC, said:
“This is a great example of the work that is being done to ensure the timely delivery of transport improvements across North Northamptonshire. This project will help deliver Kettering Borough Council’s regeneration plans for the town centre renewal and support growth ambitions for the area. The money secured from the Government’s Growth Fund has been crucial to such progress and NNDC and its partners continue to lobby for further infrastructure improvements across the North Northants area.”