I WOULD like to take this opportunity to clarify the facts so that you are able to correct the the article concerning the proposed Daventry Canal Arm, writes Becky Hutson.
The canal arm planning application was originally submitted to West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) in 2011 and has remained live since then. When WNDC was disbanded, the planning application was then transferred to Daventry District Council as Local Planning Authority to determine.
Determine the application
Hence Daventry District Council (DDC) is the applicant and is also the Local Planning Authority (LPA) that will be determining the application.
These two functions are entirely separate within the council and the LPA will make a decision based on the information provided in support of the application.
DDC as applicant has been working on providing the supplementary information required to support the original application and this was provided to the LPA in early September 2016.
Commenced consultation
The LPA then commenced consultation on the additional information, with Daventry Town Council being one of the statutory consultees. The meeting to which you refer in your article, where the Town Council resolved to object to the planning application, was one which confirmed its response to the LPA's consultation.
Daventry Town Council is not the LPA and has no powers to determine the planning application. The views expressed by the Town Council will be included in the report that will be considered by the District Council's Planning Committee at a future meeting.
Transfer to Canal & River Trust
Should the application for the canal arm be approved, Daventry District Council will then commence work on seeking external funding such as grants and contributions from sponsors, partner companies and organisations as it only intends to fund circa £2 million of the total cost of construction of the canal arm from its own funds. Similarly, the District Council would also look to transfer by agreement responsibility for operating and maintaining the canal to the Canal & River Trust or any other Trust, Association or organisation with the capacity and capability to operate and maintain a navigation.
The boat lift concept has not been abandoned. The externally funded feasibility study will be further developed following the determination of the planning application.
[Becky Hutson is the Communications & Marketing Manager of Daventry District Council.]