Wellingborough growth plan concerns to be discussed
Business leaders are to meet with Wellingborough councillors after criticising the number of homes planned for the town.
The town's Chamber of Commerce believes 410 extra new homes a year will be needed in Wellingborough over the next 10 to 25 years, compared to the 300 proposed by the council.
The chamber also believes more land is needed for development.
The council said it did not want to encourage speculative development.
In an open letter to a newspaper, president of Wellingborough Chamber of Commerce, Alan Piggot, said: "The Chamber calls upon the council to review its growth plan to accommodate affordable sites that are deliverable in the short term... to attract new bigger and better shops and entertainment facilities in the town.
"To attract new employers and businesses to the borough, we need people - and new homes attract new people."
Representatives from the chamber will now discuss the plans with council members in a private meeting on Thursday.
A spokesperson for the council said: "The meeting has been called following the chamber's public criticism of the council's decision to limit the number of new homes being built in the borough."
Leader of the council, Paul Bell, said he plans to explain his decision.
"We have to take into account the current state of the economy and the provision of funding for infrastructure such as roads, doctors, schools shops, sports facilities and so on," he said.
"If we set our targets too high, and can not demonstrate that we're achieving them, then the way is open for speculative developers to put forward planning applications in areas that are not in our local plan."