A consultation on the EWR project is open until 24 January.

West Northamptonshire Council said: "The proposed date for this route along Sandy Lane to reopen is by the end of June but there are still several factors to be resolved before this date can be committed to."A spokesperson for Vistry and Miller Homes said: “We continue to apologise for any disruption the closure of Sandy Lane is having within the community,

"Please be assured that collectively, Vistry, Miller Homes and West Northamptonshire Council are working tirelessly to reopen the road as soon as possible."Whilst we fully understand the short-term challenges imposed by the road closures, these are necessary precautions to enable works to be completed safely and deliver long-term benefits to the community.”More than 250 jobs could be cut at the University of Nottingham.

The university said on Tuesday it had launched a 90-day consultation, outlining its proposals, which also included the removal of a further 98 vacant jobs.It is considering reducing the number of professional service roles by 258 - from a total workforce of about 5,000 - which covers a wide range of non-academic positions.

University president and vice-chancellor Prof Jane Norman said it was a "critical moment for universities across the UK".

She said the sector was "grappling with significant financial challenges", in part caused by a fall in revenues."There is no justification for compulsory redundancies at this time. Rather than slashing jobs, university leadership should be joining us in demanding proper funding for the sector."

A spokesperson for the University of Derby said they have had to respond to "well-publicised challenges facing the sector".They added the university "remains committed" to investing in high-quality, sustainable research.

"We must ensure our resources are channelled in support of an exceptional student experience and towards research that has the greatest impact in the UK and around the world," they said."In this context, the university is considering plans around the structure and resourcing of our research.