2014 Annual Report

Infrastructure & Connectivity
What NEP is planning to do:
BY 2031
Deliver 80,000 New Homes
and create 70,000 new jobs
BY 2021
Strategic Imperatives
Deliver 37,000 New Homes
and 32,500 new jobs
Public Works Loans Board
Government has made up to £50m available to
Northamptonshire in 2015/16 from preferential borrowings
through the Public Works Loan Board. This money will be
used to support strategic infrastructure investment which
forms part of the overall Growth Deal package.
Housing Demand
Gaps in critical enabling
infrastructure
Northamptonshire
Demand for
Market Ready Sites
Limited Move on Space
A45
£14m Growth Deal monies will be invested in the A45
Northampton to Daventry link road which will bring
significant environmental improvements for Flore, Weedon
and Upper Heyford and allow the development of
housing and employment sites.
Delivered by:
- Transport as an Enabler of Growth
- Growth Enabling Finance
- Provide a Portfolio of Market
Ready Major Investment Sites
- Increase Availability of Office
Floor Space
- Environmental Sustainability
and Energy
- Create Superfast
Northamptonshire - Digital and
Communications
The scale of growth potential
in Northamptonshire is clear.
An immediate pipeline of
more than 35,000 homes with
planning permission puts us in an
unrivalled position in England to
deliver high quality, sustainable
growth. However, much of this
development is constrained
by the timely delivery of major
infrastructure schemes.
The infrastructure needs are already
identified and agreed by partners so
development can be delivered quickly.
Within the wider infrastructure needs we
have taken detailed assessments of the
deliverability and impact of schemes and
have prioritised those schemes we know
can be delivered immediately.
Northamptonshire has already acted to
take the initiative and articulate its
Strategic Priority
Provide the necessary infrastructure to
facilitate sustainable economic growth
agenda for stimulating economic growth.
In 2011, the Northamptonshire Arc
spatial concept was agreed. This was
one of the first approaches of its type
in the country which looks at future
economic growth, the environment and
connectivity.
Through an integrated approach to
infrastructure and wider activity it aligns
with the six key principles of the ‘smart
city’ approach, namely a smart economy,
smart mobility, a smart environment,
smart people, smart living and smart
governance.
As part of the process of developing
the SEP we have worked with local
partners to identify the key infrastructure
investments necessary in the medium
and long term to deliver our vision
for growth. This work builds on the
significant planning and pre-scheme
Financed by:
- Revolving Infrastructure Fund
- Local Growth Fund
- Growing Places Fund
- European Structural and
Investment Fund Strategy
- Local Public and Private
Sector Finance
development already undertaken by
partners, especially both planning units
and Northamptonshire County Council in
its capacity as the Highways Authority.
A43
£8.9m from the Growth Deal will be spent on
improvements to the A43 in Northampton including
extra lanes, improved public transport and roundabout
improvements allowing new housing and business sites
to be developed.
Superfast Broadband
£2m will be invested to extend the final 10 per cent
of premises including the 60 business parks across
Northamptonshire to secure full coverage.
Growing Places
In 2011, NEP was allocated £5.8m from government’s
Growing Places Funding (GPF) which has already helped
to unlock significant development through investment in
infrastructure.
NEP’s GPF allocation has been committed to support the
release of housing and jobs, demonstrating that through
forward funding of infrastructure NEP can accelerate the
release of housing and employment.
The fact that the programme is heavily committed
demonstrates the demand for infrastructure investment
across Northamptonshire with ‘shovel-ready’ schemes that
are ready to go.
For example, funding of £1.6m has been provided to the
Bela Partnership from NEP’s Growing Places programme
for the Priors Hall West Link Road (PHWLR) which forms
an integral part of the wider Priors Hall Park residential
development, comprising around 5,100 homes and other
supporting mix of uses within the scheme.
Linked to this is the construction of the Corby Northern
Orbital Road (CNOR) and development of the Rockinghamrelated
business park which can accommodate 23,000 sq.
m of new employment floor space.
The provision of PHWLR is a key infrastructure requirement
which will unlock the development of an adjacent District
Centre site, providing 39,855 sq. m of retail, employment
and mixed use floor space.
16 Annual Report 2014
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