Frontier pulls out of Northampton shed

Frontier Estates has abandoned plans for a major shed scheme in Northampton, after planners demanded a significant housing presence. The Milton Keynes-based developer bought 23 acres at Grange Park from flat-pack giant IKEA in 2005 for £600,000 per acre – a record price for Northamptonshire. Frontier originally considered developing a large distribution centre – or smaller industrial units, plus office space – on the site. But it is now planning a housing-led mixed-use scheme, after pressure from local delivery vehicle the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation. The developer’s new plans include between 500 and 600 homes – both high-density flats and terraced houses – 100,000 sq ft of offices in three or four buildings, a hotel and a small element of retail space. Frontier director Mike Mansell said pre-application talks were advanced, and that he expected plans to be submitted in the summer, with work on the site beginning in late 2007 or early 2008. Frontier is not the first developer to fall foul of government plans for the South Midlands-Milton Keynes growth area, where there are plans to build 300,000 new homes over the next 30 years. Gazeley failed to gain permission for big industrial schemes at its 25-acre Milton Ham site near Northampton, and subsequently sold it to housebuilder Wilson Bowden in late 2005. While, to gain permission for its nearby 110-acre Pineham industrial-led scheme, ProLogis had to include 40 acres for housing.