News

 

NBC ADVICE ON EAGLE DRIVE DEVELOPMENT FLAWED

Documents released by Northampton Borough Council show that the advice it has received about the controversial sports pitch development on the battlefield site at Eagle Drive, Delapre is flawed.

A Battlefields Trust Environmental Information Regulations request about Council decision making on the project has revealed no mention of new government planning rules which say that development on registered battlefields should be “wholly exceptional” in the redacted correspondence released.

Where evidence of advice is available it is wrong. One Council official suggested in an email that:

"the construction of the sports pitches in themselves will not disturb any underground archaeology [on the battlefield] - but some levelling of the site might be needed - so additional materials might need to be brought in”.

Renowned Wars of the Roses battlefield archaeologist Dr Tim Sutherland, is clear this is incorrect:

“the concept that archaeology is simply the deposits deeply buried beneath the ground is very old fashioned. Most battle related artefacts are to be found in the top soil and altering the landscape of the battlefield in any way, including the depositing of additional material, will damage it irreparably.”

Summing-up the situation Battlefields Trust Chairman, Frank Baldwin argued:

“the quality of advice the Council is relying on to make decisions about nationally important heritage appears staggeringly poor and suggests it is either incompetent or only wants to hear advice that supports its plans. The sooner councillors get a grip on this the sooner common sense will prevail”.

After first seeking Saints Rugby Club interest, in July 2012 Northampton Borough Council took an ‘in principle’ decision to allow construction of sports pitches on the registered battlefield for the club and to provide a memorial to Northampton born professional footballer Richard Butcher who tragically died in 2011.

According to local Battlefield Trust representative, Mike Ingram, those fighting to preserve the battlefield are fully behind the need for new sports pitches, but don’tthink the Council has done enough to look at alternative sites:

“No one from Northampton or the Battlefields Trust could possibly object to a project which helps the Saints rugby club or fail to support the Butcher family in their commendable desire to see a memorial built to Richard Butcher. But the Council doesn’t seem to have properly explored other sites. All this requires is a bit more work by the Council and everyone’s objectives can be achieved.”

Interest in the Wars of the Roses has increased in recent years with the rediscovery of the Bosworth battlefield in Leicestershire in 2009, ongoing archaeological work at the Towton battlefield and this year’s efforts to rediscover the final resting place of Richard III.

The battle at Northampton is significant politically, militarily and archaeologically. After it, the Duke of York pressed his dynastic claim to the throne for the first time, ushering a new and bloodier phase of the civil war. The battle featured a unique assault on a fortified camp and the probable use of artillery there makes it an important element in the story of the development of firepower; evidence of early use of artillery would be a valuable a comparator to the recent finds at Bosworth.

 

For further information contact:

Peter Burley, Battlefields Trust National Co-ordinator, Tel: 01727 831413, Mbl: 07969 861256, Email: national.coordinator@battlefieldstrust.com

Mike Ingram, Battlefields Trust Northampton Battlefield Representative, Mbl: 07738 908808, Email: mikeingram2000@yahoo.co.uk

Simon Marsh, Battlefields Trust Mercia Region Chairman, Tel: 01844-274112, Mbl: 07742 958888; Email: mercia@battlefieldstrust.com