Gold Street: Retailers ‘neglected’ as they believe they have more issues to deal with in Northampton town centre

Leading the campaign for change is John Atkinson, the co-founder of Gold Street Collectables which opened at the start of September.

Located at the rear of the cash exchange store at 52 Gold Street, the shop is home to an eclectic mix of original vinyl records, militaria, railwayana, sports items, posters and a whole range of collectables.

John believes there is nowhere else like Gold Street Collectables, and he had an interest in making Northampton town centre the best it could be even before launching his business.

He shared his perception that Gold Street is the “ugly sister” of the town’s shopping streets, as it has been forgotten and needs some TLC from the powers that be.

Despite this, he wants to proudly shout about the variety on offer there – on Gold Street itself, along Gold Street Mews, and the walkway via Argos to St Peter’s Way.

John is not sure that the people of Northampton are aware of what is available, and it is being appreciated more by shoppers from other areas, namely Rugby, visiting the town centre by train and walking up from the station.

As part of celebrating what is on offer and raising awareness of the change needed, John set up a Facebook page called ‘GOOD as GOLD STREET Northampton’.

Not only does this allow traders to promote themselves to an audience of almost 700 members, but they share nostalgic images of what Gold Street used to look like and stories of its interesting heritage.

‘Any obstacle will stop shoppers’

John wants to convey the impact that the recent highway changes have had on Gold Street, which he says is a “logistical nightmare” to navigate as a driver.

“Any obstacle will stop shoppers,” said John, who raised the issue of gaining entry to the street and the lack of parking besides for loading and unloading.

The most recent addition to Gold Street was an enforcement camera at the top end of the road in July, which is part of an ongoing crackdown by West Northamptonshire Council.

This was part of WNC’s “phased approach to improving pedestrian, cyclist and driver safety and encourage better driver behaviour”.

Drivers now face charges if they flout the rules or ignore the no entry signage at the top end of the busy one-way street. The aim of the camera was to reduce the number of vehicles that carry out the illegal manoeuvre into the one way street to increase safety.

This was in addition to the camera installed at the top end of Gold Street in January 2025 to enforce existing bus lane regulations, and the Horsemarket/Gold Street junction camera that went live in April 2025 to enforce a banned left turn from Horsemarket into Gold Street.

The Gold Street bus lane camera earned West Northamptonshire Council £120,410 from fines issued between July and September 2025, and these are the latest quarterly figures which have been released.

‘People are amazed about the shopping experience that is there’

John told the Chronicle & Echo: “Footfall has fallen due to lots of challenges. Retail is difficult and if you can sit at home and order things, people will do it nowadays.

“Obstructions will put them off and Gold Street is a difficult place to navigate if you drive in. People wonder how they can get out and don’t notice the signs. They don’t return because of it. The penalty cameras are a money making scheme and there’s nowhere to park, just loading and unloading.”

John is part of ongoing talks with WNC and the Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) about his hopes for the “unwelcoming” part of town moving forward.

The business owner would love to see an increase in flowers, benches and parking spots on the street, as well as improved signage of where drivers can and cannot go.

“People are amazed about the shopping experience that is there,” said John. “I want the whole town centre to prosper and have an open mind. I’m pleased the Council and BID want to have dialogue.

“There’s a problem with traffic and it’s not welcoming. People need to be signposted to the variety of businesses in the area.”

John gave a shout out to a number of independents on Gold Street, including Rock Bottom Discount which has been there for more than two decades, Jenny’s and Spun Out Sounds.

He also praised fancy dress shop Liana, located in Gold Street Mews, which relies on times of the year like Halloween to succeed. John says there were queues for three days at Halloween and he hopes people appreciated what else was on offer during their visit.

‘I was more than encouraged’

Following John’s interview with this newspaper, he provided an update on a meeting with Councillor James Petter – who is the deputy leader of WNC and cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure.

The pair spent around four hours together, during which time they visited Gold Street and looked at what John perceives as the problems stopping shoppers from visiting the road.

“We met several traders and they discussed what they saw as the challenges to retail and particularly in Gold Street,” said John.

“I was more than encouraged that Cllr Petter had an in-depth knowledge of retail and the complex needs of Northampton town centre. We also looked at the future proposals for the rejuvenation of the whole town centre. They were exciting and I felt deliverable over time.”