Good point raised by meccano about land contamination. This probably rules out housing development and with these issues must affect the land value.
I wouldn't say that report was scaremongering but you can pretty much build anywhere after the relevant remediation. I live a stone throw away and had to jump through hoops before I could complete on a 12 year old house. I had to request the evidence of remediation from the original builder, get a copy of the original site plan, pay for a fast track Radon test and was knocking on my prospective neighbours doors to see if their children had 6 fingers.
If they were able to build Sixfields originally, that's without the host of businesses along the rollercoaster road, they'd be able to build housing on that plot of land. It just may be that it wouldn't be as straightforward as they were hoping (although pretty obvious that landfill is complicated to complete remediation on) and therefore pricing it out for some property developers. Always thought it was a strange place
to plonk houses, the clue is in the chimneys.
Maybe the FB session will reveal that, the Chinese links to 'education' and much, much more...but it is better to under promise and over deliver.