Kettering Central Neighbourhood Plan

Vision, Objectives and Policies

Regulation 14 Consultation

The KNP is published for statutory consultation under Regulation 14 of the Regulations. Comments on the proposals and content of the plan and its other published documents are welcomed from everyone living and working in Central Kettering and the surrounding area as well as local organisations and landowners.

They must be made either by:

by 23rd March 2026 at the latest.

Any comments made after that deadline may not be considered by KTC. Anyone submitting comments to KTC must provide an email or postal address and contact name. KTC will keep this information confidential. However, it must forward information to NNC in due course for the sole purpose of notifying all those that have submitted comments that it has received a final version of the plan for examination.

3. Vision, Objectives and Policies

  1. The Neighbourhood Plan Vision for Kettering is:

“The plan aims to help create a sense of place for Kettering, to provide a town centre which is safe, a focus for community and social interaction, which is attractive and sustainable and green. A town where there is good quality housing choices, options to get around without relying on the car, and energy efficient buildings, where our history is preserved and new development is sympathetic to the town’s existing character”

  1. The objectives of the Neighbourhood Plan, are:
  1. Character – Kettering town centre will be a place with its own distinct identity. Development will strengthen local character and identity, accentuate the positive features of Kettering and its people and enhance the setting of heritage assets.
  2. Ease of movement – The town centre will be a place that is easy to get to and move through with increased connections and choice of routes for pedestrians. Well-designed streets and spaces will offer a safe and attractive environment for all, with people put before traffic.
  3. Legibility – Kettering town centre will have a clear image and be easy to understand and navigate around. New or enhanced landmarks, gateways, focal points and views will help people find their way around via a visible choice of routes.
  4. Continuity and Definition – The town centre’s streets and spaces will be clearly defined and structured, with public and private areas legible and well distinguished. Effective and efficient use of land, together with new development, will strengthen continuity and create well-defined street edges and gateways. Active frontages will animate the streets, increasing activity and supporting natural surveillance.
  5. Quality of the Public Realm – Kettering town centre will be a place with attractive, vibrant and successful outdoor areas. Public spaces and routes will be safe, uncluttered and work effectively for all in society, including disabled and elderly people.
  6. Adaptability – Kettering town centre will strengthen its adaptability and flexibility to enable it to respond to changing social, technological and economic conditions. Flexible buildings, allowing for adaptation over time, will be promoted. Space for a variety of uses and users will be provided, including small, start up and independent uses as well as high street retailers.
  1. The Neighbourhood Plan contains 12 policies, each of which is intended to contribute to one or more of these objectives. Each policy has a code number and title and the policy wording is in Bold text. Below each policy is some supporting text to explain the intent of the policy and how it should be understood by applicants and applied by NNC to planning applications. The justification of each policy will be contained in the Basic Conditions Statement. Where a policy applies to specific land or sites in Central Kettering this is shown on the Policies Map.

KET1 Key Buildings

KET2 Town Centre

KET3 Conservation Area Design

KET4 Areas of Special Character

KET5 Shopfronts

KET6
Brownfield Redevelopment

KET7 Local Heritage Assets

KET8 Houses in Multiple Occupation

KET9 Energy Efficiency

KET10 Biodiversity & Green Infrastructure

KET11 Local Green Spaces

KET12 Movement and Connectivity

Kettering Central Neighbourhood Plan Policy Map

For an interactive version of the map, with functionality to isolate layers please visit the Policy Map page

4. Information

  1. The Neighbourhood Plan will be implemented through North Northamptonshire Council
    (NNC) consideration and determination of planning applications for development in the Town. The Town Council will monitor the effectiveness of the policies through the development management process. In addition, NNC monitor the implementation of Neighbourhood Plan policies, once adopted, through the Authority Monitoring Report which is published annually. This report is prepared in consultation with relevant town council each year.
  2. The Town Council will use a combination of the Local Plan and this Neighbourhood Plan policies to inform and determine its planning application decisions. The Town Council is a statutory consultee on planning applications made in the Town and it will be made aware of any future planning applications or alterations to those applications by the planning authority. It will seek to ensure that the Neighbourhood Plan policies have been identified and applied correctly by applicants and by officers in their decision reports.
  3. The success or otherwise of the policies will feed into the assessment of the need for a review of the Plan.
  4. Opportunities may arise through S106 agreements or through the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) to secure financial contributions to invest in improving local infrastructure.
  5. The Town Council will prioritise the following in spending S106 funds:
    • Public realm improvements – to complete the public realm improvements in the town centre, which were started with the Heritage Action Zone investments in 2021-2. To support a project to improve shop fronts.
    • Green space improvements. Greening of the town centre, creating new green spaces, improving and protecting existing green spaces and linking existing green spaces up will all feature in the neighbourhood plan. The Slade Brook corridor should be an early priority, including flood mitigation and protection works
    • Town centre facilities
      • Public toilets.
      • Cycling routes and facilities (to accord with KET12 and the LCWIP)
      • Improved way finding signage, especially linking the railway station to town and supporting pedestrian and cycle movements.
      • More electric vehicle charging points
    • Renewal of Key Buildings. To facilitate the redevelopment of buildings in KET1 where they will bring aspects of the buildings into community use and bring directly benefits the town centre and its users. Examples being the Gala Bingo site, the M&S Building and aspects of the Royal Hotel site – i.e the former stabling block.
    • Investment in major public facilities
      • Swimming pool improvement or reprovision
      • Museum improvement or reprovision
  1. KTC kindly acknowledges the help of the following in the production of the KNP:

5. Appendices

  1. KTC has referred to the following documents as its evidence to support the policies of the Neighbourhood Plan: