Here Richard Church (Lib Dem, Kingsthorpe), portfolio holder for regeneration, answers questions about how St John's Quarter and the Market Square plans can be made a reality.

He said: "These plans for Northampton are not piecemeal, they are part of an overall vision for our town centre to be a vibrant and special place for people to live, work, shop and enjoy.

Our town has tremendous potential, some wonderful buildings, great spaces and history which no other town for miles around can match."

Market Square
Q: Will Northampton be taking advice from other successful markets in the country?

A: Yes, we already have. We have looked at other market squares in Britain and in Europe to see how they are run. In some, the market has gone altogether; we do not want to do that. In many cities though, a trading market sits comfortably alongside an area where people can meet, sit, relax and enjoy some entertainment. Not just in the daytime, but in the evening too.

Q: Why is Waterloo House being singled out as an ugly building that needs to be covered?

A: Because the part of Waterloo House facing the square is one of the ugliest buildings in the town.

I recently visited Liverpool, where an ugly office block right next to the superb Lime Street Railway Station was covered in a huge cloth with artwork celebrating Liverpool the European City of Culture.

Only with the owner's permission, we could consider doing something similar.

Q: Has the entertainment space been a failure?

A: No. The space has enabled us to attract specialist markets, such as the farmers' market and the French and Italian markets.

It has been used by the Northampton Carnival, the Diwali celebrations, a skating rink at Christmas and for a number of charities and exhibitions.

There is, though, much more potential and there hasn't been the investment to achieve more. That is why we will be employing a dedicated member of staff to manage and promote the space and ensure a continuous range of attractive events.

Q: Why are these plans likely to succeed above previous schemes?

A: Because it is based on a sound, researched business plan.

I am delighted that this has attracted £900,000 external funding over three years, in addition to funds committed by the borough council.

It is not over-ambitious, it is sensible, realistic, evolutionary and most importantly the plan recognises the role of the Market Square as the historic hub of our town centre.

Q: What would be the cost of taking down the stalls on a daily basis?

A:To take down the stalls on a regular basis we would need new, lightweight stalls.

They would have to be taken down every evening, six days a week, to ensure they were not vandalised.

We have considered using dismountable stalls, as the sight of empty stalls hardly attracts people to the square in the evening.

The market traders have made clear to us that they prefer the existing stalls, which are strong, practical and weatherproof.

Our plan involves slightly fewer of the existing stalls, with extra lightweight demountable stalls to be used if the current space overflows on a Saturday, or for special occasions when we might wish to clear the whole square for a major event and offer traders the alternative of stalls elsewhere in the town centre.

Q: Has Northampton's market actually become an anachronism?

A: Our Market Square is one of the largest in England.

It, and the market that trades on it, are fantastic assets for our town.

We do not use them enough, and if we neglect the market it will die, as has happened elsewhere.

I think that would be a disaster for Northampton.

Our plan is to promote and improve our Market Square, to attract new traders and new customers.

Also, we must not neglect the businesses that trade around the square. We have proposals to help owners restore the historic frontages of some of the beautiful buildings.

St John's Quarter
Q: How do you create a 'niche shopping' experience in Northampton?

A: Change doesn't happen overnight, and the council cannot dictate what shops choose to trade in our town.

The council does, though, have a role in setting the scene.

The way we plan for the future, the pattern of uses for buildings we promote, the jobs and housing we encourage and the street scene we create in our town centre will all determine whether specialist retailers will want to come here.

Increasing the number of people living and working in the town centre is part of this. An office development in Angel Street and a new hotel in St John's would increase the number of people in the town centre during the day and in the evening.

Improving the environment around the theatres will encourage people to stay and linger a little longer before and after a show.

A key to attracting new businesses is to provide the right premises on the right terms for small, start-up companies to occupy.

That is why we are working on the proposed Chrysalis centre in a fine Victorian shoe factory and warehouse in Guildhall Road, to create space for new businesses to start up and have a place in the heart of the town to promote themselves.

Q: Does 'niche shopping' also mean losing discount stores which are popular in Gold Street?

A: No, there needs to be room for everybody.

We need shops in Northampton to cater for all pockets and tastes.

At present, shoppers with deeper pockets are attracted elsewhere by a greater choice of shops.

Q: Where would funding come from to redevelop St John's quarter?

A: Much of the land in the St John's area is owned by the borough or the county councils.

We will be looking to work with private investment developers to create and restore buildings in the area. Where we can, we will 'pump prime' enterprise, such as with the proposed business start-up centre in Guildhall Road.

Redesigning the Plough Hotel junction to take out the crazy gyratory and simplify the traffic flow will need a significant public investment, but will open up great opportunities to new private investment in the area.

We will support West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) and Northamptonshire County Council in their efforts to secure funding for that.

We want bars and restaurants that will widen the appeal of Northampton town centre.

We are not looking for more of what we already have in Bridge Street.

Discussions are progressing with prospective developers for the old Blueberry Diner site, at the entrance to the Derngate centre, as the first phase for the St. John's area.

Q: What would attract a company paying high wages to the area and have any companies expressed as interest?

A: Northampton's location is excellent, as we are close to London. We have good road communications, reasonable rail links (though these do need to be improved) and we are reasonably close to major airports.

We can offer high quality housing with the beautiful Northamptonshire countryside on our doorstep, and a wide range of cultural and leisure opportunities.

There is no one secret ingredient to attracting employers; we need to work on all fronts: educational opportunities, leisure, housing, shopping, transport and more.

Q: What makes these plans any different from previous plans to develop Northampton (ie the cultural mile) that have not come to fruition?

A: The St John's and the Becket's Park masterplan put meat on the bone of the cultural mile concept by proposing specific ideas for an under-utilised area that links the riverside to the town centre.

It is an example of public bodies, the county council, WNDC and the borough council working together to secure change.

We are also winning the confidence of significant external funders.

For instance, the council has already attracted £2m investment from the East Midlands Development Agency to enable us to secure the area around the new Derngate entrance for new development.

It's no use coming back in five years and saying, oh well the plan hasn't come to fruition.

The plan is not fixed in stone. Stage by stage, over 20 years, we would expect the plan to have evolved, but the essence of it will be realised.

Q: Has Northampton actually gone too far in creating a bar culture to the detriment of developing a decent retail area?

A: We need to create a more balanced town centre.

That means a wider range of retail, and an evening economy that attracts a much wider age range and a wider range of things for young people to do.

There are problems, but they can be exaggerated and become misleading.

Thousands of people visit Northampton town centre every weekend to enjoy a great night out.

People do drink too much and some become aggressive.

But they are very much in the minority and are normally dealt with well by the police. We need to provide more facilities that will appeal to older age groups, people who want to, and do, go out in the evening, but currently wouldn't consider the town centre apart from to visit Derngate and the Royal theatres.