March 2026

ISSUE 19 - MARCH 2026

NENE Herald

News from around the Wellingborough & Rushden Area

NNC’s Asset Sale North Northants Council (NNC) has voted to sell a number of assets in Rushden, Wellingborough and Kettering.

The ones that are in the Nene Herald area are: · Land at the Corner of Rectory Rd, Rushden This piece of land is currently used by Rushden Historical Transport Society for storing vintage vehicles. It is not clear where the vehicles will be relocated to. · Phase 2 Glenvale Park, Wellingborough This is part of the Wellingborough North Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE). It is an odd area, in that although depending upon Wellingborough’s infrastructure, it has been put into the Daventry parliamentary constituency. · Jacksons Lane Car Park, Wellingborough A number of years ago, there was a proposal to sell off part of the Jacksons Lane car park. The sale didn’t occur, at least partly, because it was suggested that the loss of parking spaces would damage Wellingborough’s High Street.

There are currently 419 parking spaces here, with 65% usage according to the report. NNC had checked the usage over a 6 day period in January 2026.

CONTINUED :

Continued : Another survey was carried out recently (via Facebook) into the level of support for selling Jacksons Lane car park. The results were: Oppose selling 90% Support selling 3% Don’t care 7% As at 19:00 on Sunday 15th February 2026, 528 had voted against the sale (90%).

In addition, a survey and several petitions have been started. Several people spoke against this at the NNC Executive meeting.

The committee report stated that this was “surplus to requirement”, however speakers commented that this was a well-used facility and the main car park for communities and churches. They explained that if this were not available for parking, this would have a major impact on Wellingborough. They were also surprised that there had been no public consultation about this prior to this decision.

Reform-led NNC argued that this was just the �rst stage and that planning permission would need to be sought and that at that stage there would be consultation with the public. However the feeling was that once sold and out of public ownership, there would be less control over this huge area in the centre of Wellingborough.

Nene Herald suspects that this will not be the end of this matter.

Birches Garage has been a Rushden landmark since 1937. The distinctive “Widows Watch” tower is one of the features that make Rushden’s High Street something special.

Located near the former railway station, Birches Garage was an ideal base for Birches Buses, a family business that could trace its roots back to 1810. The company used to run buses down to London (the route 203 and later the 203M).

In 1969, the routes (and buses) were sold to United Counties. The building later became a furniture store and also housed a fish-and-chip shop.

In the last few years, the Art Deco building fell out of use and various plans were made to repurpose the site.

Several planning applications were submitted to the former East Northamptonshire Council and later to North Northamptonshire Council. One of the applications set a local record, by initially having 11 (eleven!) reasons for refusal!

It became a tug-of-war between the Planning Authority and the developers over their plan to turn the building into flats.

The local community and the Planning Authority wanted to preserve the iconic frontage that was important to Rushden’s history, whilst the developers wanted to demolish the whole building and make a fresh start.

In the end, there was a compromise. The frontage was preserved, but most of the rest of the building was flattened and is being replaced by a more modern construct.

The redeveloped building is a mixture of flats and town houses. The developers are seeking bids for the new dwellings and had an open day on 31st January.

PAGE 2

By-Election in Rushden South

Jennie Bone Defects Cllr. Jennie Bone has defected to Reform UK from the Conservatives.

Cllr. Bone was elected to North Northants Council (NNC) in a delayed election in June 2025. The election was for two NNC councillors to represent the Higham Ferrers ward. Cllr.

Bone’s margin of victory was just 3 votes!

Cllr. Bone was also elected to Higham Town Council (HTC) in the May 2025 all-out elections.

She resigned from HTC towards the end of 2025. No by-election was called, so HTC is replacing her by co-opting a new councillor.

Late last year, Cllr. Bob Tillyer died from cancer.

It was especially sad, because it had been Bob’s ambition to get elected to Rushden Town Council (RTC). He felt that he had a lot to give to the community.

Regrettably, Bob did not get a chance. Very shortly after he was elected in May 2025, he was diagnosed with cancer.

A by-election will now be held to fill Bob’s vacant seat on RTC for the Rushden South ward.

The vote will be on 19th March 2026.

Little Harrowden Gating PSPO North Northants Council (NNC) has proposed a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) for an area of Hillside Road, Little Harrowden. Initially, the PSPO will be for a period of three years.

The PSPO will apply to the road which runs parallel with Kettering Road (A509) The reason for the PSPO is the high levels of anti-social behaviour at the site, especially fly-tipping and littering. To help enforce the PSPO, gating is proposed If imposed the PSPO would include the following prohibitions *

Consumption of alcohol on street

*

Use of intoxicating Substances

*

Engaging in sexual activity within the area of the PSPO

*

Using the public space as a toilet

*

Depositing any litter or unlawfully depositing any waste or fly-tipping within the con�nes of the PSPO.

NNC is now consulting on the proposal and invites submissions using any of : • This survey : https://northnorthants.citizenspace.com/pspo/gating-pspo-hillside/ *

Emailing : SaferCommunitiesTeam@northnorthants.gov.uk

*

Writing to : Safer Communities Team North Northamptonshire Council 1st Floor Deene House New Post Of�ce Square Corby, Northants NN17 1GD

Of�cially the consultation closes at midnight on 1st March 2026. However, submissions that arrive a few days later are unlikely to be ignored.

PAGE 3

Community Governance Review for North Northants In 2023, the Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) carried out a boundary review for North Northamptonshire with the aim to create equal numbers of voters per councillor in each ward. They changed most of the ward boundaries for North Northamptonshire Council (NNC).

Unfortunately, NNC’s boundary review also changed some Town and Parish boundaries, and LGBCE made no attempt to achieve electoral equality for the revised Town and Parish boundaries. As a result, this left Donne Close Ward in Rushden with 141 voters per councillor, whereas the Rushden South ward has 1297 voters per councillor. It also put areas within Rushden into Higham Ferrers ward.

When complaints were made to the LGBCE, their response was to recommend a “Community Governance Review”, i.e. a Town/ Parish level boundary review. In effect, the LGBCE refused to fix the electoral inequality that they had caused, and asked NNC to fix it.

After several years of delay, NNC has now started a Community Governance Review. As part of the first stage of the Review, residents and interested parties are invited to submit suggestions for changes of parish/Town/ward boundaries.

Full details of the Community Governance Review can be found on the North Northants Council website where comments can be submitted. The closing date for comments is 12th March 2026.

‘’ Air Ada ‘’

Higham’s Lost Castle Higham Ferrers is a town with a rich history, but much of the physical evidence has been lost, e.g., Chichele College is represented by just some of its foundations.

The Higham Castle is even less visible. Indeed, for most Higham residents, the only evidence of its existence is the “Castle Fields”. Now, we have something more substantial.

Several modern tools have been deployed by a team who have been working to locate the hidden remains of the castle. These are tools that were not available to previous generations of archaeologists.

Ground penetrating radar (GPR), a magnetometer and an earth resistivity survey, were deployed to detect underground anomalies.

This work produced evidence of a number of structures. Stephen Parry in the Castle Studies Trust Blog, wrote: “The GPR survey produced the most informative results, showing that the foundations of a curtain wall and other buildings of the inner bailey survive under the garden of the Green Dragon Hotel.”

“Other building remains survive to the north, within the likely extent of the outer bailey.”

“The foundations of a square gatehouse, measuring 6m by 5m, were revealed across the line of the curtain wall and would have provided access from the outer bailey.”

“Inside the curtain wall, the foundations of a large rectangular building measuring 12m by 7m may have been the great hall, which documentary sources indicate was rebuilt after a fire in 1409-1410.”

"Other foundations within the curtain wall suggest the presence of other buildings that may have predated the fire.”

This report will whet the appetites of amateur historians, and definitely lead to more investigations, until we have a detailed description of this fascinating period of Higham’s history.

“ If ‘e ent moanin’ about summut, ‘e’s fasta sleeup in the cheir. I dunno, da yu gal! “ PAGE 4

Higham Farmer’s Market

Roadside Memorials To Be Banned North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) has decided to ban roadside memorials and plaques.

NNC’s Executive Committee met on the 20th of January 2026, and voted to ban such memorials, as part of the authority's updated highways network management plan.

The report received by the Committee stated:

Street markets of all sorts are under pressure.

Supermarkets are scooping up most of the convenience sales (food, cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc). At the other end, the online retailers are taking a large chunk of the comparison good sales (clothing, DIY supplies, white goods, televisions, video gear, etc).

It is therefore pleasing to see traditional outlets still surviving.

The Higham Farmers’ Market is still keeping old traditions alive that create a community event. It is held on the last Saturday of each month throughout the year (except for Christmas week, when it is the last-but-one Saturday).

"Such memorials can be a distraction for motorists and are potentially an obstruction to the public highway.”

"Their long-term presence raises concerns over the maintenance, repair and insurance issues which in time are likely to rest with the highway authority.”

"The memorials could become an attraction for vandalism, causing distress to relatives.”

"Given the above and that there are alternative means of leaving a memorial to the victim of a collision, plaques and monuments will not be permitted by [NNC] for this purpose."

Review of FREE Car Parking On Tuesday 17th March 2026, North Northants Council’s Executive Committee will meet to discuss “the Council’s approach to parking arrangements across North Northamptonshire”.

This suggests that a decision will be taken about charging for parking in the Council’s car parks.

Currently, the NNC car parks in Wellingborough and Rushden are free-to-use. There has been pressure for some time to charge for parking in these car parks.

If you have views on whether parking in the NNC car parks should be free or not, we suggest that you contact your NNC councillor to express your opinion.

PAGE 5

Local Historian Local historian, Roger Powell, has lived in Rushden for 32 years. A native of Luton in Bedfordshire, he developed a passion for history from a very early age.

co-authored with Peter Beauclerk Dewar, in 2008, titled “Royal Bastards” and the second in 2011 on “Royal Mistresses”.

“Royal Bastards” went into 4 editions and is still selling well today.

At the age of 17, he was employed as a research assistant by two of Queen Elizabeth II’s Heralds: Sir Conrad Marshall Fisher Swan, the Rouge Dragon Pursuivant of Arms, later, the Garter King of Arms, and Rodney Onslow Dennys, the Rouge Croix Pursuivant of Arms.

The success of the first book was due to the discovery of the Royal Stuart DNA by Family Tree DNA, based in Houston, Texas. It revealed that the Dukes of Buccleuch, Grafton, St Albans and Richmond were all descended from Charles II. It also explored the possibility of a Royal Bastard becoming King of England.

After a 6-year apprenticeship, he then became a research assistant to Peter Gwynne Jones, the Garter King of Arms, before moving on to become the Director of Debretts Ancestry Research.

The second book explored the role of the English Royal Mistress over the centuries.

During this period of his career Roger also toured the Home Counties for 8 years giving talks on both books and obtained a Bachelors degree in History and a Master of Arts degree in Comparative English and French History.

Roger then became Sub-Editor of the 107th edition of Burkes Peerage, Baronetage and Knightage, which was published in 2003, alongside his Directorship of Burkes Ancestry Research and his Directorship of Worldwide Ancestry Research.

He is currently reviewing a list of possible future books.

His passion for history resulted in the publication of 2 books on the subject, the first,

Rushden Mayor’s Awards NHS RSV vaccine Every winter, coughs and colds proliferate. They are mostly caused by viruses and can make you seriously ill.

One such virus is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) and we now have a vaccine against it.

The vaccine is offered by the NHS if you're pregnant, aged 75 to 79, or turned 80 after 1 September 2024.

Rushden Town Council has invited nominations for the annual Mayor’s Awards for 2025/2026.

The awards aim to acknowledge Services to the Community.

A Mayor’s Award is given to an individual who has delivered outstanding work and commitment within the community of Rushden over several years. Award winners must be residents of Rushden.

Nominations should be submitted to

Most people recover from RSV, but not all.

The Town Clerk, Rushden Town Council,

RSV can cause pneumonia (a lung infection) and bronchiolitis (a chest infection that affects babies)

Rushden Hall, Hall Park, Rushden, NN10 9NG

Local GPs are offering the vaccine for those who are eligible, and it well worth taking up the offer if you are eligible.

Alternatively, they can be emailed to the Town Clerk at: Info@rushdentowncouncil.gov.uk Submissions should include the name and address of the nominee, plus the reason for nominating them. The closing date for nominations is Friday 20th March 2026 PAGE 6

Wellingborough Town Centre Regeneration

Last year, North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) commissioned a review of its four major growth towns (Corby, Kettering, Rushden and Wellingborough). The objective was to decide which town offered the most potential for regeneration.

The conclusion of the review was that Wellingborough offered “the biggest scale and opportunity for developing a long-term Masterplan". Producing that Plan is expected to cost £65,000.

Reform UK councillor, Ken Harrington, said that it could help turn the town "into a place that the people of Wellingborough will once again want to invite people in to visit".

Reform UK's Paul Brooke said: "We need to make it a place where people can work, rest and play. All towns get their nicknames, but Wellingborough is indeed going to be called the 'closed-down town' if we carry on the way we're going. It's got to change - all of our town centres have got to change."

NNC made it clear that a Masterplan for other towns, such as Rushden and Corby, will be considered later this year, if funding can be found.

Leader of the Reform UK-led council, Cllr. Martin Grif�ths, said: "We have to start somewhere.”

"The learning that we get from Wellingborough can be rolled out not only across Rushden, Kettering and Corby, but let's take it further a�eld - be brave, be ambitious."

PAGE 7

Wellingborough Pancake Race

On Saturday 14th February, the Wellingborough Town Mayor, Cllr. Raj Mishra, picked up a frying pan, and joined the crowds of enthusiastic residents for an annual free-to-enter celebration of Shrove Tuesday traditions — a few days early to make it perfect for families during half-term.

The real thrill came when Raj took on the challenge of competing while riding a Penny Farthing cycle!

He pedalled a towering vintage bike, flipping a pancake mid-race, while trying not to wobble offcourse or drop the pancake. (He came second overall!)

A massive well done and huge congratulations to the worthy winner — a very young competitor who absolutely smashed it and took the gold with some impressive flipping skills.

The cheers echoing down the street were incredible. It was heart-warming to see so many families, friends, and fellow locals getting stuck in — whether racing flat out, cheering from the sidelines, dressing up in fancy costumes, or tucking into the free pancakes afterwards.

The Penny Farthing race was undoubtedly a standout highlight, with those tall wheels turning and pancakes flying, adding a spectacular, laugh-out-loud twist that had the whole street in stitches and applause.

Add in the special guest character appearance (bringing extra magic for the kids), medals for the top flippers, and the infectious buzz of community spirit, and it made for a truly flipping fantastic morning.

Continued : PAGE 8

Cllr Mishra gave heartfelt thanks to everyone who came out, cheered, volunteered, or took part.

“These are precisely the events that make Wellingborough such a special place to live and work.

And a special shout-out to the Wellingborough Town Council team for organising everything so brilliantly and smoothly once again.”

“If you're reading this and wishing you'd joined the fun — don't worry, there's always next year! Who knows, maybe I'll be back on the Penny Farthing to defend my second place or even aim for that top spot.”

“Wishing you all an excellent rest of the weekend — and perhaps squeeze in a few more pancakes before Lent gets underway on Tuesday!”

Reform Councillors Defect On Wednesday 18th February 2026, it was disclosed that two councillors on North Northants Council had defected from Reform UK to a newly formed political party, Restore Britain.

Cllr. Jack Goncalvez, who represents the Rushden Lakes ward at NNC, and Cllr Darren Rance, who represents Wellingborough’s Brickhill and Queensway ward, chose to cross the floor to join Restore Britain.

Restore Britain, led by Rupert Lowe, was launched in June 2025, as a pressure group. It was registered as a political party on 13th February 2026, just days before this defection.

Two days after joining Restore Britain, Cllr.

Rance announced that he was leaving the party because it is “more sinister than he �rst thought”. He appears to have asked to return to the Reform UK group.

PAGE 9

OUT AND ABOUT In and around wellingborough &Rushden RushCom Reprise!

Rushden’s own ComicCom event is almost here!

On Saturday 7th March 2026, Dr Who-fans can put on their capes, charge up their sonic screwdrivers and pile into Rushden Library.

The Convention will include a cosplay competition with three categories : 8-17 yrs

18 years

Group entry

The second RushCom is already a guaranteed success.

Entry is free and Nene Herald will be there to record the svent.

PAGE 10

Crazy Hats Come to Town Glennis Hooper, author of 'She's One Crazy Lady' and founder of the former Crazy Hats charity, will be visiting one of Wellingborough’s new bookstores, Volta Books, on Tuesday 10th March.

Glennis will be giving a talk about her book and her charity work. Entrance will be £5, but that will include a copy of her book and a drink.

The talk will start at 7pm, and all the pro�ts will go to the fund set up with the Northampton Community Foundation by the Crazy Hats charity. The goal of the chairty is to support newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

You can get more details and buy tickets via this website: https://volta-books.sumupstore.com/product/she-sone-crazy-lady-talk-with-glennis-hooper

The Bell Inn Has Closed

The Bell Inn in Finedon is no ordinary pub and possibly the oldest pub in the country. It is believed that the pub �rst received its licence from King Edward the Confessor in the 11th Century. That is even before the Norman Invasion!

The most recent landlord was probably the longest-serving in the country, having been pulling pints for around 56 years.

That makes it especially sad that the Bell Inn delivered its last pint on Sunday 25th January 2026.

The Bell was the last pub in Finedon and therefore leaves the town without a pub. (Nevertheless, Finedon Conservative Club is still open to new Members!)

PAGE 11

News in Brief Muddy Verges A new housing scheme is currently being built out adjacent to Shirley Road in Rushden. For complex reasons, the building site is accessed through Prospect Avenue, rather than Shirley Road or John Clark Way (both of which would have been more sensible.)

The grassy area near the site entrance has been churned up quite badly.

At the same time, the path from Prospect Avenue to the East Northants Greenway has been closed off.

Phoenix Trustee Passes Away John Richardson, a local Trustee of the Phoenix Resource Centre, has sadly passed away.

The Phoenix Resource Centre, originally based in Wellingborough, is a longstanding family-run organisation set up in 2009. Along with his wife and son, John formed a charity aiming to utilise spare or unwanted consumer goods and pass them on to where they are needed.

John was the motivating force driving some amazing projects that Phoenix are still running today. They have established links with local suppliers to help them manage their unwanted goods saving them hundreds of thousands of pounds per week and aiding them to reach their environmental targets.

The local branch of the Phoenix Resource Centre based in Portland Road, Rushden was launched in 2024.

Right up to the end, John would be a welcoming face at the door of the Centre in Rushden to greet all who came in, or out collecting from suppliers. He will be greatly missed.

The Nene Herald is a community-based newspaper for Wellingborough, Rushden, Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough and the surrounding villages.

The Herald is free and can be found on the Internet at: https://issuu.com/nene_herald Alternatively, you can have it emailed to you. If you wish to receive free copies of the latest issue of Nene Herald, send an email requesting a free copy to: Nene_Herald@yahoo.com If you no longer wish to receive free copies of the newspaper, simply email us and ask to ‘unsubscribe’.

If you wish to comment on any of the subjects within this publication or would like to contribute to the content, please get in touch via email to : nene_herald@yahoo.com