For too long, Labour and Conservative Councillors, backed by their colleagues in Westminster, have neglected our town centre by allowing ever more out-of-town retail development, raising car parking charges and failing to invest in our town to attract the businesses, jobs and growth we need.

Since the Lib Dems’ Guildhall election win in 2007, we have frozen shoppers’ parking charges, reduced prices on Sundays, invested in the Market Square and signed an agreement for a massive expansion of the Grosvenor Centre.

Now our policies are coming under fire, with Conservative Councillors, supported by local MP, Brian Binley, opposing our firm stand against yet more out-of-town retail.

Conservatives say we should encourage supermarket developments outside our town centre that would destroy the town’s remaining small and medium-sized businesses and allow a handful of multi-nationals to take control of our shopping. In doing so, they are questioning our plans to redevelop the Grosvenor Centre and nearby Greyfriars Bus Station to provide a shopping centre fit for the 21st Century.

Lib Dems at the Guildhall have decided that it is time for a full and frank debate about the future of our town centre. We have invited Brian Binley MP to an open debate. He has accepted our invitation and will go head-to-head with Lib Dem Planning Spokesperson, Richard Church.

The debate will be completely free flowing. Anyone is welcome to attend and ask a question. With big differences between Liberal Democrat and Conservative plans for Northampton, this is sure to be a lively debate.

Places are limited so if you would like to attend, please email towncentredebate@northampton.gov.uk to reserve up to two tickets.

This is a vitally important moment for the future of our town. I hope you will be able to come along and join the debate.

Kingsthorpe Focus number 200 is out now. Started over 30 years ago by Tony Rounthwaite, it has kept people in Kingsthorpe up to date with local issues and actions by the Lib Dem Focus Team.

A small event to celebrate the 200th issue of Focus was held in the village. Tony Rounthwaite came down from Northumberland to join us and is photographed with parliamentary candidate Andrew Simpson, Sally Beardsworth and Richard Church with copies of all 200 issues of Kingsthorpe Focus.

Roadworks in Harborough Road are underway and will last for the next three months as National Grid replace their ageing iron pipes with modern plastic ones, and the County Council make improvements to the Cock Hotel junction.

The company brought forward its timescale for the replacement project following talks with Northamptonshire County Council, and it is now timed to make sure it does not clash with improvement works the council is planning to carry out in the area later in the year.

The County Council’s Kingsthorpe Corridor project will focus on sections of road at The Cock Hotel Junction, from Kingsthorpe Grove to Kingsland Avenue and the Welford Road/ Harborough Road Junction.

The council scheme will include carriageway widening to allow easier traffic flow, more effective traffic signals to minimise congestion and the re-positioning of pedestrian crossings.

These improvements are welcome, and it is good to hear that for a change the council and the utility companies are talking to one another to minimide disruption. Inevitably there will be hold-ops though. The national grid say they won’t have to do this again for 80 years! Sorry we won’t be around to check.

With the land now in community ownership, work can not be done to improve it and keep it clean and tidy for the benefit of wildlife and local people.

Lib Dems will continue to make the point that academies are being imposed on Northampton schools by a Labour Government and a Conservative County Council without the support of the people who use the school. It is time our schools were given the support and the stability to do the job without constant meddling from outside.

Children and young people from the Kingsthorpe area of Northampton will soon be able to play to their hearts content on an exciting new adventure play area.

The final design for the equipment has now been chosen by the project delivery team that that work in partnership with the borough council’s Kingsthorpe Neighbourhood Management Board. Pupils from the area, along with the Kingsthorpe Youth Forum, came up with the original ideas. The area has been designed with 8 to 13 year olds in mind and is scheduled to be installed on Kingsthorpe Recreation Ground for a spring opening.

Over the past two months, members of the local community have been giving their views on five different designs and these have helped to shape the final plans. The final design, by Milton Keynes based company Kompan, is a large rope climbing structure in an assault course-style layout.

It includes a tunnel slide, a trampoline and various levels of nets, which will allow children to play at different heights. It also has a supernova roundabout; a rotating disk, which can be used as a traditional roundabout or like a treadmill, and a pendulum swing, which can accommodate several users at once. The play area is specially designed to blend into its setting on Kingsthorpe Recreation Ground, with the main rope structure being made of timber posts and neutral coloured rope. It will be located next to the existing children’s play area. The final design is available to view on the Northampton Borough Council website at www.northampton.gov.uk/kingsthorpenm.

£49,000 of Government funding was awarded to Northampton Borough Council and Kingsthorpe Neighbourhood Management Board for the adventure play area. Northamptonshire Police and County Councillors representing the wards of Kingsthorpe, Boughton Green and St David’s have also boosted the fund by contributing money from their community budgets. Further funding support will be applied for from Kingsthorpe Manor Trust.

Chairman of Kingsthorpe Neighbourhood Management Board, Cllr Jane Hollis, added: “This is an exciting project providing young people with challenging new play equipment to their own designs!”

Work should begin on the play area in the new year and will be officially opened in the Spring with a community launch celebration day. Local residents who would like more information about the play area can contact Sara Kennedy at Northampton Borough Council on 01604 837073 or skennedy@northampton.gov.uk.

The targeted action will rotate around zones in Kingsthorpe every six weeks for a minimum of six months. Anybody who spots a vehicle that is inconsiderately parked in Kingsthorpe, Boughton Green or St David can help the partnership by reporting the location and vehicle by calling 03000 1133.

The County Council have replied that they are seeking a contractor to demolish the old school and make the site safe. Together with a number of other school sites, the council do not expect to sell it for housing in the near future due to the reccession. They should not have left it in its current state for so long without making the site secure. 

The sign was funded by donations from the Kingsthorpe Manor and Town Trust and Sally Beardsworth’s ‘empowering councillors’ fund.

Have your say on the proposals at one of the public exhibitions atKingsthorpe Methodist Church. Friday Sept. 18th 11am-2pm, Saturday September 19th 11am-2pm and Thursday 24th September 4pm-7pm.

In Kingsthorpe, there will be an exhibition on Thornton Park in the Community Centre in Mill Lane on Saturday and Sunday 12th & 13th September 2.30pm-4.30pm. Trinity Church, Balmoral Rd, one of last built by local architect Matthew Holding, will open Friday 2pm-4pm and Saturday 10am-6pm. St. John the Baptist, our ancient village church will open 2pm-5pm Friday, 10am-5pm saturday and noon- 6pm on Sunday.

Throughout Northampton, other building are open, with an antiques fair on the Market Square and a family history exhibition in the ex servicemen’s club in Sheep St. For more information visit the Northampton Heritage Open Days website. There is much more to see in Northampton than the town is ever given credit for!

Earlier this year over 65,000 households in Northampton received new black glass recycling boxes and over 700 tones of glass was collected in just 2 months. Over the next couple of weeks new calendars and black boxes will be delivered to an additional 15,000 houses so even more people can join in with glass recycling from the kerbside. For these households the new collection will start week commencing Monday 21 September. Glass bottles and jars will be collected every four weeks, on the same day as the black sack collection.We want to make it as easy as possible for people to recycle and reduce the amount of rubbish sent to landfill. This will give every household the chance to have their used bottles and jars turned into new glass. The new recycling calendars and black boxes will be delivered in early September

Local young people came up with the ideas and a number of firms have come up with alternative propsals. These include rope bridges, climbing nets and a tunnel slide. The final design will be selected in November with a view to the work being completed in spring next year.

There will also be an opportunity for further comments at the time of the submission of a proposed plan to the government inspector.

The proposals come about because of the Governments requirement to provide for around 40,000 new homes by 2026. The ‘Emergent Core Strategy’ as it is called has just been published by the West Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit which was set up by the Government to draw up plans for how the growth would be accommodated in Northampton, Daventry andSouth Northamptonshire.

‘We are delighted we have been given this money from the Playbuilders fund to create a really different and exciting new play facility’ said Sally Beardsworth.

Sally Beardsworth 1173

Conservative 663

BNP 392

Labour 328

Thank You to everyone who voted in this election

There was a lively discussion about the town centre, and agreement on the need to redevelop the bus station and expand the Grosvenor centre to provide better facilities for bus passengers and a better selection of shops.

At the time of writing, it is only just starting, but we wish it well. They are doing a great job bringing young people in Kingsthorpe together and making sure that the authorities know what young people think on issues affecting Kingsthorpe.

The plans can be viewed online at www.northampton.gov.uk and are available at the council offices in the Guildhall or Cliftonville House. The planning reference number is N/2009/0027.

There have been previous applications for this site, and it is important that residents make their views known. You can email planning@northampton.gov.uk

Thornton Park sometimes known as Kingsthorpe Park used to have beautiful gardens which are some fifteen acres, which lie just off the main Market Harbrough Road leaving Northampton.

The gardens are in desperate need of restoration. A new group called the Friends of Thornton Park will be holding their inaugural meeting on Friday 23 January at 7pm in the Kingsthorpe Community Centre (entrance in Mill Lane)

As part of this meeting the Friends of Thornton Park are keen to hear from anyone who remembers these delightful gardens of old, or have fond memories or photographs they would be willing to share with the group.

UPDATE

There was an excellent turnout for the meeting, and many people came forward to help the new ‘Friends’ group. Contact Christine Teulon at 54 Clarence Avenue tel 01604 711755 if you would like to help.

The location is yet to be agreed, but we hope it will be central, so that as many young people can use it as possible. and close to existing play facilities.

Cllr Choudary has offered to sell part of the land to the NN2 residents association, and the vote at the meeting seemed to show that this was the preferred option rather than to seek a lease for the land. There was though continuing anger at the way Cllr. Choudary has dealt with this matter.

Andrew Sally and I will continue to support the residents in their efforts. Purchase of part of the land would be a positive step forward.

The area includes Queens Crescent, Queensland Gardens, St. Davids Rd., Langdale Rd, Rosedale Rd and part of Nursery Lane. The area was built in the 1920’s through to the 1950’s 1930’s with some improvements in the 1980’s. There will be some environmental works such as walls and fences done alongside the refurbishment.

Tenants will have received a letter from the Director of Housing and will be fully consulted on the plans for their homes in the new year.

Harborough Rd. cemetery.
Kingsthorpe/Thornton Park allotments
Studland Rd allotments
Welford Rd allotments

In addition dogs will be completely excluded from the bowling greens and tennis courts in Kingsthorpe Recreation ground.

Let Richard or Sally know if you have any views on these proposals.

For the last three years, residents in the area I represent have joined together to protect and improve their local environment. Tirelessly, day by day, week by week, they raised enough money to buy a plot known as Kingsthorpe Meadows to create a community-owned wildlife park. Their plans have won the support of the River Nene Regional Park and West Northamptonshire Development Corporation.

Today, their dreams lie in ruins due to Labour councillor Ifty Choudary.

Earlier this year, Cllr Choudary outbid local residents at auction – bidding nearly twice the land’s market value - before proclaiming to the press that he had won the land for the community.

If Cllr. Choudary really had local residents at heart, you would expect him to talk to them and their representatives about it. Never once did he approach Sally Beardsworth or I as the local councillors about his plans. Since acquiring the land, Cllr Choudary’s statements about his plans for the land have been varied and evasive. He is also yet to explain why he is providing cover for an alleged anonymous buyer.

It’s time now for local councillors, community leaders and MP’s – of whatever party to stand up and be counted, to support local residents and ensure their hopes for their community are not thwarted.

Whatever Cllr Choudary’s motives, he must now be told, enough is enough. As a local representative himself he must think long and hard about the damage he is doing to the interests of a large part of our town.

Three years ago, there was a real threat of an illegal traveller encampment on the same site. Labour MP Sally Keeble was there for every photo opportunity and every media call. Today, Kingsthorpe residents want to know: Where are you now, Sally? – Whatever Cllr Choudary’s politics, he must be told to stop.

I would urge Mrs Keeble, and leaders across the town, to campaign for this land, and ensure its future as a community-owned park.

Richard Church
Borough Councillor for Kingsthorpe

I hope that the transfer of the land now goes smoothly, and that we can look forward to the land being a green and pleasant place for us all to enjoy.

UPDATE- Monday 20th Oct. It seems things are still not sorted!

Instead of adults telling young people what they will have, this idea has come from young people themselves, and they have the guts to come to a public meeting in speak up for it against some opposition. A minority too often give young people a bad name, but they deserve a place which is their idea, their design and somewhere they can call their own.

Councillor Choudary has never discussed his plans with Sally Beardsworth or myself as local councillors, and he does not speak or act on behalf of the council. Any plans to build a mosque or any other large building there would require planning permission, and as we know, the land is largely in the floodplain and has been identified as open space in the local plan.

We will wait to see what is proposed. If Cllr Choudary has plans for community use of the land, it is disappointing that he did not discuss these with residents or the councillors for the area before the auction. We will continue to support residents in their efforts to protect the land for the local community and await with interest news of Cllr. Choudary’s plans.

All welcome. Your chance to have your say on the work of the Kingsthorpe neighbourhood board. Police update and info on grass roots funding.

The noticeboard will be erected close by in memory of Derek Simpson, a well known village personality (and Focus deliverer), who sadly died earlier this year. Sally Beardsworth is contributing some of her County Council ‘empowering councillors’ budget to the project.

The Kingsthorpe Conservation Committee was set up some years ago to to speak up for the protection of the old village, which is a designated conservation area. It is consulted by the Borough Council on planning applications in the village, and is increasingly taking action itself to create a special environment in the village. The proposed design of the decorative village sign is superb, a great focal point for the village.

• Increase your skills and confidence by taking part in team activities. It’s fun!
• Get involved in a community project
• Take part in a skills workshop: Driver theory or Sports coaching award
• Learn life skills such as Cooking or Painting & Decorating

Want to find out more?
Call (01604) 828400, or 07793 267990 and ask for Pete or Annie.

B-Active and chase those opportunities!

If the Government insists, we cannot stop new development on green fields around Northampton, but we should not accept development without the roads and local facilities neccessary to protect the quality of life of existing residents.

Andrew Simpson, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Northampton North, has expressed concern over the future of Kingsthorpe (Thornton) Hall after publication of the latest historic buildings at risk register.

The register, published by English Heritage, draws public attention to important listed buildings that are neglected and, have fallen into disrepair, but have important historical character or significance.

“The hall was sold by the previous Labour administration of Northampton Borough Council to be converted for flats and whilst new flats and a small community centre have been built in the grounds there little has been done to restore the main building.”

Liberal Democrats opposed the loss of the community facilities in the hall, fearing that an important local building would be lost to the public. One of the arguments was that converting the building to flats was a way of preserving it, but it is now in a worse condition than when it was owned by the council.

“It looks like the developer has done the easy bit which is the construction of the new buildings in the grounds whilst still leaving the Hall to be completed. This calls into question whether it really is being preserved for future generations”.

In addition theres multi-sport activities on the Racecourse (meet at the changing rooms) and Kingsthorpe Rec (meet at the booking office) from 28th July to 22nd August for 5 to 12 year olds. 2 sessions per day 10am-12pm, 1.30pm-3.30pm. Sessions are £1 per child or 50p if they have a leisure card. For more information contact Northampton Borough Council’s Sports Development Team on 01604 837774, email sportsdevelopment@northampton.gov.uk or visit their website www.northampton.gov.uk/sports.

“It has been a fantastic year and I am very proud of the achievements of our councillors” writes Nick Clegg “The Council has made enormous progress in the last 12 months.”

A year since the Liberal Democrats took control of Northampton has been described as a year of solid achievement by Leader Cllr. Tony Woods “We inherited a council in a mess. A year ago Government inspectors had rated the council as one of the worst in the country, with weak political leadership and failure to deliver services people have a right to expect.”

“Three things stand out from our first year” said Tony Woods.

(1) The Council’s finances are under firmer control, with no cuts in this year’s budget.

(2) Day to day services such as planning, revenues and benefits, and housing management are at last showing real signs of improvement.

(3) We are setting in place firm foundations for the long term with progress on the Grosvenor centre and other key town centre projects.”

“We still have a long way to go” said Tony Woods. “We have more to do to persuade the people of Northampton that the council is improving. That will be our task in the year ahead.”

‘Putting the Pride back in Northampton -A year of Achievement’ A full briefing on the first year of Lib Dem run Northampton Borough Council can be downloaded from www.northamptonlibdems.org.uk