Please ask as many friends, neighbours, work colleagues, family, etc as you can, to join us in this campaign

The Issue

(From Change.org  and  Nextdoor.co.uk. Authored by Sue Jackson (24th April 2026))

Many of us cherish the serene beauty and recreational facilities offered by Hunsbury Hill Country Park, Shelfleys Park, and Upton Country Park. These parks are more than just green spaces; they are vital community hubs used by people from all over, not just those in the local vicinity. Now, the West Northants Council is proposing to impose parking charges, an action that threatens not only our access to these beloved parks, but the local economy as well.

The Drover’s Return Café, the Elgar Centre, and the Ironstone Railway, iconic establishments that contribute to the local culture and economy, may see a decline in visitors due to these unnecessary parking charges. At a time when we are all feeling financial strain, imposing additional costs discourages families and individuals from enjoying outdoor activities. Being outdoors is crucial for our physical and mental well-being, providing an escape into nature, encouraging exercise, and promoting community interaction.

It is essential that we stand up against these charges. We already contribute to the maintenance of our community through council taxes, in addition to the often-overlooked stealth tax for garden waste bins. These proposed charges feel like another burden-an unfair attempt by the council to profit at the expense of our wellbeing and community spirit. By making it harder for people to access these beautiful parks, the council is discouraging healthy, outdoor activity that should be accessible to all.

West Northants should be nurturing our community, not driving people away and making accessibility difficult. We need to protect our parks and do what is best for our community’s health and the local economy.

Join us in urging the West Northants Council to reconsider these ill-advised parking charges. Let us preserve our parks as accessible refuges for leisure and health. Please sign this petition to make your voice heard and safeguard the accessibility and vibrancy of our treasured communal spaces.

 

As stated on the poster, there is an online petition available on Facebook (FoWHP, West Hunsbury Residents, and others) and a paper petition at The Drovers Return cafe.

 

The Notice, posted 23rd April at the entrance to Hunsbury Hill Country Park and Ladybridge Park

WEST NORTHAMPTONSHIRE COUNCIL

NOTICE OF INTENTION

ROAD TRAFFIC REGULATION ACT 1984

(OFF-STREET PARKING PLACES) ORDER 2026

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN That West Northamptonshire Council (“the Council”), in exercise of its powers under Sections 32 and 35 and Part IV of Schedule 9 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, and of all other enabling powers, proposes to make the above-named Order. Effect of the proposed Order The proposed Order will:

  • revoke existing off-street Traffic Regulation Orders relating to the car parks specified in the Schedules to the Order, insofar as they are inconsistent with or directly affected by the proposed Order; and
  • consolidate and regulate the use of the Council’s off-street parking places by:
  • specifying the parking places to which the Order applies;
  • prescribing the conditions under which vehicles may be left in those parking places;
  • providing for parking charges, charging hours, free-parking periods, exemptions and permits;
  • making provision for pay and display, cashless parking, and barrier or ANPR-controlled parking places; and
  • setting out enforcement provisions applicable to those parking places. The parking places affected by the proposed Order are those specified by name in Schedules 1 to 4 to the Order and shown on the plans in Schedule 5.

A COPY of the proposed Order, together with plans showing the exact Car Park by name and location to which it relates and a statement of the Council’s reasons for proposing to make the Order, may be inspected on the Council’s website at www.westnorthants.gov.uk (search traffic regulation orders) and may also be inspected at Kier Highways, Brixworth Depot, Old Harborough Road, Brixworth, Northants, NN6 9BX at a time and date specified by appointment only by calling 01604 529700. MAKING REPRESENTATIONS OR OBJECTIONS Persons wishing to make comments, representations, or objections to the Order, must do so by sending them in writing to “the Traffic Orders Section, Kier Highways, Brixworth Depot, Old Harborough Road, Brixworth, NN6 9BX” or by email: WNCParkingenquiries@kier.co.uk by 14th May 2026.

Dated this 23rd day of April 2026

SARAH HALL,

Corporate Director of Law and Governance (MO)  Ref P2087

 

The Order (and Schedules) is available from the Friends. Please email FriendsOWHP@gmail.com to request a copy. Don’t bother to look for the Order on WNC website. I spent an hour looking for it without success. 

And by the way, Schedule 5 doesn’t contain any plans. Also, in the TRO, WNC refer to Ladybridge Park as West Hunsbury Country Park although there is no record of the park being re-named or elevated in status to a Country Park.