Area 1: Harlestone Heath. 1.0 Overview of Locality Harlestone Heath is probably the site of the earliest agricultural development in the parish, dating back to stone and bronze-age settlements. Its significance today is that it forms a green space between the settlements of Lower and Upper Harlestone and the New Duston area of the Borough of Northampton. The western boundary is that with the parish of Harpole and in the east with Church Brampton. - Add map annotated with location of buildings and landscape features. It remains the least developed area in terms of housing, but is important in terms of both the local environment and the economic activity of the community. Most of the land is owned by the Althorp Estate and leased out for commercial activities. The land between New Duston and Upper Harlestone contains a farm and a working quarry, whilst that between Lower Harlestone and the Lodge Farm Industrial Estate is composed of forestry, providing timber and public leisure access through a network of foot-paths and bridleways, some of which have only permissive access rights. This area also contains a commercial garden centre; part of a national chain. Although the area is largely given over to commercial enterprise it remains an important archaeological and historical site. 1.1 Development Domestic building development has taken place in Whites Lane, where redundant barns were converted into domestic dwellings around thirty years ago. There are two semi- detached lodge cottages at the entry to Harlestone Firs constructed in red brick as are the farmhouse and outbuildings on Fleetlands Farm, all dating back to the 19th Century. The garden centre, located on the A428, is housed in a modern open-span industrial structure. 1 Within the Firs there is a saw-mill housed largely in a purpose-built 20th Century steel framed buildings. By far the greatest impact on the area has been the construction of the Sandy Lane Improvement North (SLIN); a new section of highway passing through Round Oak Plantation to the west of Harlestone Firs. This is a strategically important development, providing improved vehicular access between Berrywood Road in Duston/Harpole and the Lodge Farm Industrial Estate. It is intended that this will be connected by another new section of road to the A4500 in Northampton and to provide access to a planned housing and commercial development on Dallington Heath. A further extension of this new road is required taking traffic to the A5199, thus providing a ring road around the northwest part of Northampton. The current road is capable of expansion to a dual carriage way without further ingress into the green space provided by Harlestone Heath. The railway through Northampton is on a loop line that passes close to the north eastern boundary of Harlestone. In addition to regular passenger services, this line provides access to the major inland freight terminal to the north of Daventry known as DIRFT. Whilst the track and causeway has undergone extensive refurbishment over the past year or so, the 2 line continues to pass over and under brick-built bridges constructed in the late 19th Century. The railway line passes through an important area in terms of nature conservation at the edge of Harlestone Firs. 1.2 Historic Features. Harlestone Heath historically occupied an area extending from just north of Harpole, stretching eastwards as far as Kingsthorpe in Northampton. With the development of Harpole and Harlestone the western section of the heath evolved to become arable farmland and forestation was established in the east covering an area of 128 hectares. Trees grown on this land are largely an agricultural crop and regularly harvested and replanted Prisoners-of-war cells were built of local bricks during the Napoleonic wars. The remains of these are now only just discernable among the tree roots at the north western edge of Harlestone Firs. An historic byway passes through the wooded area that formerly connected Harlestone with Kingsthorpe in Northampton. This is part of a network of public footpaths and bridleways within Harlestone Heath, which together with additional permissive access routes by the Althorp estate give extensive access to the area. Guidance 1. There is the threat of coalescence between urbanised New Duston and rural Harlestone Historically the Heath has provided a visual and ecological bu ffer between the two.. 2 The construction of industrial buildings associated with rural/agricultural businesses need to be effectively screened by trees and not allowed to inhibit public access to the area. 3 Any domestic building developments should be associated with employment in rural/agricultural activities in the area. 4 Materials used should reflect those used in the construction of existing properties and above all harmonise with the surrounding area. 3 .