Station plan Nov 2024

Nov 2024 – Northampton station: plan still needs improvement.

See also the pdf of the plan and the full application. This is another version of the plan but it still falls short.

Feel free to use any of our submission in yours. Just paste them into the box on this page (you’ll need to scroll down first to accept the terms).

Our submission to the council
Introduction

The council’s Local Transport Plan has a policy to prioritise walking and cycling, in line with the Department of transport standards.  The developer also wants to prioritise walking and cycling on the site, and their vision is to have walking and cycling as the main means of transport for the residents of the new apartment block.

Our proposals in this submission are the logical outcomes of these policies and statements.

Pedestrian and cycle routes through the site.

We are unclear as to the pedestrian route from the St Andrews Road to the station building.  It’s not clear where the route goes after entering the site and using the crossing.

  1. The pedestrian route should look and feel like the “main” route, with cars giving way to pedestrians at all points where the road route crosses this pedestrian route.
  2. The pedestrian route should be level throughout – this is especially important for people using a wheelchair, pushing a buggy, or pulling a suitcase.  This is very important messaging for anyone arriving at the site.
  3. Clear signage should be provided for cycles and pedestrians between St Andrews Road and the station building.
  4. Good lighting should be provided to prioritise the safety and comfort of people on foot and on cycles.
  5. There is a desire line for pedestrians that cuts across the planned taxi holding area.  Consideration should be given to routing pedestrians along the boundary here, that would bring them directly to the current crossing, which should be made into a continuous route.
  6. There needs to be a maintenance plan for the pedestrian route and cycleway to avoid any build up of leaves or debris and prevent overgrowing shrubs and trees.
  7. There needs to be a mechanism to report maintenance issues with the pedestrian and cycle routes.
Access via St Andrew Road

The approach to the station from the north is not safe for pedestrians or cyclists because St Andrews road prioritises motor traffic, has poor pavements, and makes no provision for cycling.  Any planning consent should therefore include the following conditions:

  1. The developer should be required to fund a crossing on St Andrews Road to the north of the station entrance to cater for both pedestrians and cyclists.
  2. The developer should be required to fund the removal of the right turn lane into Scarletwell Street, realignment of pavements, and construction of a 2-way cycle lane between the station entrance and Spencer Bridge Road.
  3. The developer should be required to fund the redesign of the St Andrews Road/Spencer Bridge Road junction in order to give greater priority to walking and cycling.
Access via Black Lion Hill
  1. Access from Black Lion Hill is congested – more width is needed to accommodate people on foot and cycling.
  2. The developer should fund improvements to the walking and cycling route between the station entrance and St Andrew’s Road – the current shared-use path is already inappropriate for such a busy location, which will get busier with the new development.  Separate cycleway and walkways need to be provided.
  3. The proposed scooter parking at this entrance already exists – this exacerbates the congestion problem.  The parking needs to be moved so that it is not directly in the traffic flow.
Cycle Parking
  1. The cycle parking should be covered, including the mount/dismount area.  It should provide the same quality as the parking in Kettering.  See the LTN1/20 standards.
  2. The cycle parking should include spaces for non-standard and adapted bikes, eg trikes and cargo bikes.
  3. Racks should be easy and convenient for anyone to use.
  4. Cycle parking should have video surveillance.
Public transport

There needs to be a good quality bus shelter (including seating) next to the rail replacement bus bays.

Access to the apartment block
  • Proper cycle parking needs to be planned now for the outline permission of the apartment block.
  • The walking and cycle routes to/from the apartment block need to be planned now, to ensure easy access from both Black Lion Hill and St Andrews Road.