Northampton Borough Council have announced that the future of Sixfields, including the redevelopment of the Community Stadium, could be dealt with sooner rather than later when they outlined their move towards a 'Masterplan' approach to developing the Sixfields area, moving the process outside of the previously stated planning framework.

For the past 5 years the football club has been pleading with the local authority to formulate its planning process for Sixfields in order that the community stadium could benefit from any development with the area.

Until now, the whole scheme has been bogged down with delays to the planning process with the Borough Council deciding on their 'Joint Core Strategy' (a shared plan with South Northants and Daventry Councils) and also then agreeing a Sixfields Area Action Plan which is a specific plan for the Sixfields area.

However with more delays to that initial process announced, it seems that common sense has won the day and the Council have decided to move the process outside of the previously stated planning framework.

The Joint Core Strategy has been delayed again - ironically because the high number of responses to the Council's consultation are taking too long to process - (it is thought many Cobblers fans had participated in the consultation and the council were surprised at the numbers involved).

Now the Council have said that they are happy to deal with the Sixfields issue outside of the above planning framework and agree a Masterplan with all the parties concerned to speed up any development.

Northampton Town Chairman David Cardoza said:

"This is very welcome news. We have always asked for the Council to be proactive and we now look forward to sitting round a table with all the parties concerned with the Sixfields area and agreeing a plan and timetable to take matters forward.

"We want a true partnership here and an outcome that is good for the football club and the town and I am grateful to the council for their careful consideration of the issues and the decision they have taken."

Director Tony Clarke added:

"Common sense seems to have won the day. What's important now is that we can all agree a way forward and ensure that the redevelopment of the Community Stadium is foremost in the mind of those agreeing any deal.

"2 years ago we were asking 'If' the stadium would be redeveloped, last year we had moved on a bit and were asking 'When'. I am very happy that we now seem to have resolved the first question, we are now working hard on the second and we can now also move on to the 'How'. This is very good news indeed."

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