Section 5 Characteristics of the East Northamptonshire Area

5.1 The District Of East Northamptonshire The District covers an area of 50,979 hectares (125,974 acres) with an estimated population of 76,700 in 2000 this information has been extrapolated to give an estimated population of 80,700 persons by mid-2004. Of the 2000 total, 57,000 live in the towns of Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Oundle, Raunds, Rushden, and Thrapston. The remaining 19,700 live in the 51 Parishes of the rural area representing 26% of the total population.

Rushden is the largest of the towns and its prosperity was originally based on the boot and shoe industry. In recent years the industrial base has diversified considerably as the footware industry has declined.

Higham Ferrers is a smaller settlement which has merged with Rushden to form a continuous built-up area overlooking the Nene Valley, astride the A6 and A45 roads. Higham Ferrers is one of the oldest towns in the county and was also a centre of the footwear industry. The built environment of the town centre still reflects the time when Higham Ferrers was a small market town. It is now an important Conservation Area, and has a Town Scheme which provides grant aid for repairs to historic buildings.

Irthlingborough also has a long history and traces of Iron Age settlements have been discovered around the town. Both the boot and shoe industry and iron-ore extraction were of importance in the past. Mining operations have ceased and the economic base is now more diverse with food the biggest industry.

There is also a long history of settlement at Raunds. Archaeological excavations have uncovered important sites in the area dating from several different periods including Roman, Saxon and Medieval. Recent estate development has changed the character of the town and many residents travel elsewhere to work.

Oundle is an historic market town which is famous for its public school founded in the sixteenth century. The town has maintained its role as a local commercial centre. Oundle also has an important Conservation Area, and a Town scheme which provides grant aid for repairs to historic buildings.

Thrapston is a small market town which accommodates the main offices of East Northamptonshire Council. Mineral working, especially gravel extraction, was important in the area until recently. The town also has a role as a commuter settlement due to recent large scale housing development.

Modern agricultural methods have greatly influenced the character and appearance of much of the countryside in the District, but considerable landscape variations exist, ranging from flat open countryside in the eastern part of the District to the undulating countryside of the Welland Valley in the

21 north-east. The valleys of the Rivers Nene and Welland provide some of the most important and attractive features.

The villages vary considerably in size and character. Some have a high proportion of new development and have grown in size accordingly. Most are smaller and more compact and have retained their traditional appearance. A few are very small and sparsely laid out.

A number of the villages are important in architectural or historic terms. There are presently twenty six with Conservation Areas but East Northamptonshire Council is currently in the process of reviewing them and may designate some new areas. Some of the villages also have important associations with historical characters or events. In additions there is a total of 1422 listed buildings because of their historical or architectural importance of which 45 are Grade 1, 45 are Grade 2* and 1332 are Grade II.

Areas of woodland include Forestry Commission plantations but also the remnants of the ancient Forest of Rockingham, which once covered the entire area between the valleys of the Rivers Nene and Welland. There are also parklands associated with large country houses. Several former airfields, which were originally developed at the time of the Second World War, area also to be found in the area.

The recent expansion in sand and gravel extraction has resulted in the creation of large bodies of water formed on completion of the workings which were then allowed to flood. Although this has provided more opportunities for water-based recreational activities and some important wildlife sites, it has changed the nature of much of the landscape of the Nene Valley.

Agricultural land is graded based on the productive qualities of the soils. Much of the land in East Northamptonshire is Grade 3 (moderate to good quality) and has limitations on agricultural use. There is a smaller area of Grade 2 (good quality) which is easier to use. Farming is mainly arable but mixed farming also occurs.

The District is well served by major road routes. The A14 (M1-A1) link was fully opened in summer 1994 and provides a link between the West Midlands and the East Coast Ports.

Parts of the A45 (Birmingham-Ipswich) A6 (London-Inverness) A43 (Oxford- Market Deeping) A605 (Higham Ferrers-Whittlesey) A47 (Birmingham-Great Yarmouth) and A6116 (Thrapston-Corby) main roads pass through the District.

British Rail main lines are within easy reach at Kettering, Wellingborough, Huntingdon and Peterborough.

22 5.2 Information on Contamination and Current/Historical Industrial History In comparison to many areas of England, East Northamptonshire has little in the way of heavy contaminative industry. The Council is compiling information to carry out the prioritisation of sites for inspection. We have identified a number of potential sources of contamination which may exist as a result of our industrial heritage. In summary these are:

ƒ Tanneries, boot and shoe manufacture: lead, chromium, arsenic, solvents, oils; ƒ Transport, and distribution sites (including petrol stations), oils and fuels; ƒ Sewage Works: sewage sludge, metals, methane; ƒ Old landfill sites: landfill gas, leachate, waste; ƒ Farms: biocides, fertilisers, fuels; ƒ Ironstone mining areas: metal; ƒ Town gas manufacturing sites: tars, spent oxides, cyanides, sulphur.

5.3 Geology The solid geology that underlies Northamptonshire forms part of a broad band of sedimentary Jurassic rocks that run from Dorset to Yorkshire. These rocks originated as sediments, which were deposited on land or in water 150 to 200 million years ago. Many of the beds are rich in fossils. Northamptonshire, in the heart of England, lies astride the Jurassic outcrop where the general dip of the rocks is to the southeast with the older rock, therefore appearing in the north and west of the county.

Many of the sedimentary rocks have been of economic importance, notably the limestones, which have provided most of the crushed rock used in the county, as well as building material.

Lincolnshire limestone, part of the Inferior Oolite Series, is found in the north of the county, and comprises 87.5% of the total crushed rock extracted from Northamptonshire. Included in this figure is a small amount of Collyweston Slate – itself a local variation of the Lincolnshire limestone, which is found in close association with the limestone formation. This formation generally decreases in thickness to the south, and finally disappears in the Kettering/Oundle area. In areas where little overburden exists, such as Collyweston, a distinctive limestone plateau is found.

The Northampton Sand Formation is also a part of the Inferior Oolite Series. In the geological sequence it lies below the Lincolnshire limestone and is separated by a bed of estuarine sands, limestones, sandstones and clays of variable thickness, known as the ‘Lower Estuarine Series’. The Northampton Sand Formation comprises a layer of relatively coarse sandstone rich in iron compounds, and is commonly referred to as ironstone. Of the four types of Jurassic ironstone found in the Midlands, the Northamptonshire Sand Formation is the richest in terms of iron content. It extends in a broad band from Lincoln to Towcester, and has been worked for iron ore at points along its length since the 1850s. It was upon this that the steel industry in Corby was based. The

23 Northamptonshire Sand acts as an aquifer, lying as it does between beds of limestone and clay, and, together with the Middle Lias, is a source of tributary springs.

Most of the sedimentary rocks are hidden beneath drift deposits: boulder clay and sands and gravel deposited when ice sheets covered Northamptonshire 130,000 to 300,000 years ago. In retreat, the ice left a behind a thick cover of boulder clay and associated sands and gravels. Modern drainage patterns have been established on this surface and it is the rivers’ own power to erode, transport and deposit material which has produced the river gravels and alluvium found in river valleys today. Post-glacial river terraces of sand and gravel are found in the Nene valley. These river terraces are the remnants of previous flood plains that the river eroded, with the presence of meltwater from the last glaciation aiding this process. These deposits have attracted great economic interest in recent years and their extraction is widespread.

Oxford clays also form a minor component of Northamptonshire's geology and can be found in the Oundle area.

5.4 Water Resource/Protection Issues Water resources are an important receptor that must be protected from pollution by contaminated land. All groundwater and all surface waters are considered to be receptors whatever their use. Water can also be an important pathway for the transport of contamination providing the link between source and receptor.

East Northamptonshire is bisected vertically by the River Nene. This runs from south to north across the district and sand and gravel has been extensively extracted along the length of the floodplain. This has left a large number of lakes which are important locally and nationally for recreational use and ecology.

In the north and more rural area of the district there are a number homes, industries and agricultural activities that obtain water from private supplies, wells, boreholes and springs. There are approximately 30 private water supplies in the district. Proposals have also been received by East Northamptonshire Council to abstract groundwater on a commercial basis for bottling and resale. In addition, there are a number of abstraction points licensed by the Environment Agency in the district. These premises are authorised to take water directly from a river or well for commercial purposes such as industrial processes or farming activities.

The Environment Agency Groundwater Vulnerability Maps [17] for the district indicates that Major Aquifers follow the Blisworth Limestone and Lower Lincolnshire Limestone Formations. Minor Aquifers are associated with the Cornbrash, Rutland, Northampton Sand Formations, alluvial deposits of sand and gravel and glacial till deposits.

The Environment Agency has defined a number of groundwater protection zones around groundwater sources used for public drinking water supply to

24 protection them from contamination. There are no source protection zones within the district of East Northamptonshire.

5.5 Radon Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas. It is emitted by some rock types, and its occurrence is thus determined by the geology. If allowed to accumulate inside a building, exposure to radon can increase cancer risk.

East Northamptonshire is designated as a Radon Affected Area, and at risk from elevated radon levels.

Radon is not included as a “contaminant” in the contaminated land legislation, so ground that may emit radon will not be “Contaminated Land”.

5.6 Naturally Occurring Arsenic There are some areas in Northamptonshire where the natural geology consists of Northampton Sand with Ironstone and associated drift deposits. Elevated levels of naturally occurring arsenic are known to be associated with these formations/soils.

The Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs and the Environment Agency have derived a number of generic assessment criteria for the risk associated with exposure to some contaminants including arsenic. These have been published as Soil Guideline Values (SGV). The SGV for arsenic [18] in a residential setting with gardens and allotments is 20mg/kg. Levels are frequently found above 20mg/kg in local soil.

Assessments of arsenic levels will be required where appropriate as part of the planning process. Assessments should be carried out using appropriate current methods and standards and using best practice.

Where there is likelihood that arsenic may be present a site investigation will be required which would include analysis for total arsenic. If the results demonstrate levels above the relevant SGV it will be necessary to carry out a site specific risk assessment. There are a number of models in general use but all have to be compliant with UK methodology

The result of the risk assessment will determine whether remediation, with regard to elevated levels of arsenic, is required.

5.7 Redevelopment History and Controls East Northamptonshire has benefited from a sustained high level of economic growth, coupled with a significant rise in population over recent years. This has resulted in significant expansion of developed land, both in housing and employment uses. Much of this expansion has been on greenfield sites. However with increasing pressures to protect greenfield sites a more recent trend has been to develop land which has previously been used for other purposes. Performance Indicators (BV 106) for East Northamptonshire Council

25 report that year end estimate for 2002/03 is 50% of housing will be on previously developed land with a target of 75% for year 2003/04.

East Northamptonshire Council is responsible for controlling development under the planning system, and has considered the potential for contamination in cases where risk was apparent. It is recognised, though, that standards for contaminated land clean up have changed considerably over the last ten years. It is possible that developments have been permitted in the past without the stringent control measures that would be required today.

Planning Policy Statement 23: Planning and Pollution Control (PPS23) [19] was published in November 2004. This document puts a greater emphasis on the applicant to ensure that a site can be remediated to reduce risks to an acceptable level before the application is determined. PPS23 states that ‘land contamination, or possibility of it, is therefore a material planning consideration in the preparation of development plans and in taking decisions on individual planning application’.

East Northamptonshire Council in association with other councils within Northamptonshire have published guidance for developers [20] when redeveloping land which may be affected by contamination. The guidance follows the risk based approach outlined in the statutory guidance and requires that planning applications for all residential development and other developments on brownfield sites be supported with appropriate explanatory works. This would be based on site specific research into the site’s previous history, and would detail possible sources, pathways and receptors, assess risks. It would explain what further work in site investigation or remediation was considered necessary to ensure that the site was suitable for the proposed use. In most circumstances adequate site investigation and remediation works would be controlled by planning conditions. Where the contamination was serious, or where remediation work was very extensive, or might in itself cause a risk, East Northamptonshire Council may ask for full details of the remediation works to be submitted as part of the planning application.

Building work is subject to Building Control and requirement C2 of the schedule to The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2004 [21] addresses contamination. It states “Reasonable precautions shall be taken to avoid danger to health and safety caused by contaminants on or in the ground covered, or to be covered by the building and any land associated with the building”. The approval process in many instances is carried out by local authority technical officer or by approved inspectors.

5.8 Local Authority Owned Land 5.8.1 Housing Stock On the 19th of February 2001 the Council transferred their remaining housing stock and warden controlled houses, to Spire Homes Limited. The transaction involved approximately 3500 properties.

26 5.8.2 Current Land Holdings East Northamptonshire Council currently owns sixty parcels of land as listed in the Asset Management Review of Category ‘C’ Assets published in May 2003 [22]. At the present time land falling under Council ownership ranges from areas of public open space, offices, industrial units and land with development potential. As part of the inspection of the district for contaminated land East Northamptonshire Council will consider its own land and land that it has previously owned.

There will also be the consideration of land which has previously been owned by the Council that has been sold on to new owners.

Consideration will also be given to areas of land where council activities may have caused contamination. For example, vehicle maintenance and refuelling, waste management activities and the storage and use of hazardous chemicals such as herbicides and pesticides.

Apart from being a priority issue and the fact that all information relating to this topic will be derived from internal records. The procedures for inspecting the local authority’s current and previous land holdings and land which the local authority had an interest in will be identical to those described in the strategy for any other land.

5.9 Known Information on Contamination East Northamptonshire Council is aware of some sites in the district that are likely to be contaminated and in some cases the Authority is already in possession of a significant amount of information on these sites. In most cases the sites have come to the Authority’s attention via the planning process. Where development on potentially contaminated sites is proposed East Northamptonshire Council asks developers to provide detailed information on the nature of contamination present, suitable risk assessments, remedial strategies and validation reports.

The Council already has a record of historical site uses which provides a useful basis for identifying sites that have had potentially contaminated uses. These include closed landfill sites, petrol storage sites and scrap yards.

5.10 Action Already Taken on Contamination To date actions taken by East Northamptonshire Council to deal with contamination have been as a result of information submitted to the Council through development control. What was thought to be appropriate action at the time would have been taken as part of the planning and building control function through the use of planning conditions.

There has been a great deal of change in attitudes to contaminated land over the last ten years – procedures are more formalised and the technologies available have increased dramatically in number and effectiveness. This means that it is possible that previously remediated land may not meet modern standards and may have the potential to be statutory contaminated land.

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