3 Astwell Castle Cottage Falcutt Road Helmdon NN13 5QU Data via plota.co.uk

2026/0745/FULL - Full Planning Permission Approved

Proposal

Extension to the rear of an existing carport/storage building. Data via plota.co.uk

View original council record ↗Last checked

Application progress

✓
Received
10 Feb 2026
✓
Validated
2 Mar 2026
✓
Approved
20 Apr 2026

Approved on 20 Apr 2026 · Delegated · Last checked 11 Sept 2026

Site constraints 5

Agricultural land, grade 3b
Not best and most versatile land (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Source: the Predictive Agricultural Land Classification Map (Defra and Natural England, 2025; the Welsh Government's Predictive ALC Map 2 in Wales), a model rather than a site survey. Natural England's Provisional ALC map (1:250,000, 1970s) agrees.
Where development of farmland is needed, policy prefers poorer land over the best and most versatile (grades 1, 2 and 3a). Three sources: Natural England's post-1988 field surveys, which are definitive where they exist; the Defra predictive map for England (2025) and the Welsh Government predictive map, modelled from the soil map with 3a and 3b split; and the 1970s provisional map, which planners and other services still show, coarser and with grade 3 undivided. Where the provisional and predicted grades disagree, treat the predicted grade as the current estimate and expect an application to carry its own survey.
Scheduled monument about 45 m away: Astwell Castle Farm (uninhabited portions)
Its setting is a consideration for work nearby.
Nationally important archaeology protected by the Secretary of State. Work that affects the monument or its setting is rarely permitted.
Historic England ↗
1 listed building within 150 m of the postcode pin
Nearest: Astwell Castle, Grade II*, about 58 m from the postcode pin
The site itself is not listed. Listed building consent is needed for work that affects the special interest of a listed building, inside or out, on top of planning permission. Setting can be a consideration for buildings nearby; there is no fixed radius.
Historic England ↗
Also on the record
Radon affected area, class 2; Heritage at risk about 45 m away: Astwell Castle Farm (Gatehouse Tower).
Not affected
Outside flood zones 2 and 3 · Not green belt

Checked on 6 October 2026. The pin for this application is the centre of its postcode rather than the building, so distances to nearby designations are measured from the postcode and can be out by the width of the postcode area. Historic England, the Environment Agency, Natural England, the British Geological Survey and UK Health Security Agency (radon, contains BGS materials © UKRI) and council datasets, Open Government Licence. A boundary can run through a site and the council holds the definitive record: confirm with the council before relying on this.

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Important details

Application type
Full Planning Permission
Postcode
NN13 5QU
Received
10 Feb 2026
Validated
2 Mar 2026
Ward
Rural South Ward
Parish
Helmdon
Target decision
27 Apr 2026
Decision
Approval
Decision date
20 Apr 2026
Decision level
Delegated

How this decision compares

Decided in 49 days from validation, 25 days faster than West Northamptonshire's median of 74 for extensions. Approved, as 92% of extensions here are.

28%decided within 8 weeks
92%approved
712decided in the last year

Plota live figures for extensions decided by West Northamptonshire in the last twelve months, from validation. West Northamptonshire decision record →

Consultation & key dates

Comments by
8 Apr 2026
West Northamptonshire
Planning Authority Score
1.7/10
Poor
#280 of 296 councils
Relevant to this application:
Householder decisions

West Northamptonshire is one of the slowest councils in England for householder decisions, ranking #295 out of 296. The council extends the time limit on 79% of applications - one of the highest rates in England. Expect your application to take longer than the standard deadline. Householder applications are slightly more likely to be approved here (93%) than the national average (90%).

Among the slowest councils in England
for householder decisions
These figures are council-wide context, not a prediction for this application. View full council performance
West Northamptonshire decision statistics
Based on MHCLG data, the year to March 2026
90%
Overall approval rate
Above avg (87%) #123 of 296
93%
Householder approved
Above avg (90%) #144 of 296
18%
Decided in 8 weeks
Below avg (63%) #295 of 296
79%
Extended time limit
Above avg (41%) #295 of 296
81%
Minor dwellings approved
170 decided (1-9 homes)
83%
Major dwellings approved
24 decided (10+ homes)
86%
Change of use approved
207 decided
1,832
Total decisions
179 refused in the year to March 2026