Supporters of the Wellingborough East development in Eastfield Road say it will spruce up a depressed area that has been left to rot with derelict buildings and empty land.

However, a large group of residents has formed to protest against proposals for the site near Wellingborough railway station, saying it will affect their quality of life and cause severe traffic problems.

Council officers now look set to take more time to resolve the issues and have recommended that planning permission be delegated to the "proper officer".

The authority also wants Bee Bee Developments, which is behind the plans, to sign a Section 106 agreement under planning law, which would commit them financially to providing infrastructure including roads and utilities with the site.

A report by Wellingborough Council planning officers says: "There are still a number of detailed matters that need to be agreed with the applicant."

The issue of what to do with the Eastfield Road site has been subject to intense debate for more than a decade. Several planning applications have been made for industrial use over the past 16 years.

The current plans focus more on transforming it into a thriving community with 540 flats and 27 work units, plus up to 6.6 hectares of
open space and landscaping.

Access roads are to be built to cope with increased traffic flow and up to 834 car parking spaces could be created.

However, amid concerns that traffic will become unbearable at rush hour in an already busy part of town, planners have promised to encourage cycling and walking with footpath links and up to 574 cycle park spaces.

A spokesman for Bee Bee Developments said building on a dilapidated brownfield site would vastly improve the quality of the area and transform it into a vibrant part of the community.

But Kevin Jones, from nearby Colwell Road, said: "It would impact immensely.

"The traffic is constant at the moment and it does impact on your quality of life.

"You put your life on the line crossing the road and I am often woken
by lorries in the night."

If the plans are given the green light, Bee Bee Developments would look to start building as soon as possible despite worries of an economic downturn.