Brackmills fire: Industrial unit in Northampton wrecked by devastating blaze could be rebuilt

An industrial unit in Northampton partly destroyed by an unsolved arson attack could be rebuilt if a plan gets the go-ahead.

The Caswell Road building was wrecked by the fire on Saturday, May 1, 2021 when it was occupied by personalised children’s toys and accessories company, My 1st Years.

The firm saw its head office and warehouse destroyed in the inferno and lost £3m worth of stock. It also had to refund around 1,400 customers who had outstanding orders.

Northamptonshire Police confirmed no one has yet been arrested.

The company said the fire was a “devastating blow” which came as the business was “hitting new heights” with 120 staff. It moved across Northampton and into a unit on the Grange Park Industrial Estate in September 2021. It is now rebuilding and going from strength to strength.

Now, agents working on behalf of the site’s owner said in a planning application to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) that a “large section” of the warehouse was “seriously damaged” and had to be demolished. Some areas not as badly affected were retained and will be used again.

The proposed site would be “slightly larger” than the previous warehouse. It will be built to “meet current institutional standards and deliver low carbon solutions”. Solar panels placed on the warehouse’s roof could generate about 600 MWh every year, with the power used by the warehouse itself, stored in batteries on site, and exported out to the National Grid.

The proposed site would have 87 car parking spaces, with nine of those allocated as disabled bays. It will also have 33 charging points for electric vehicles. But staff will be “encouraged” to use public transport, cycle and car share rather than drive. Another 29 cycle spaces and six motorbike spaces will be provided. The rebuilding plan will be decided by WNC in due course.

A police spokeswoman said: “No one has been arrested in connection with this incident but we would still appeal for any witnesses to come forward.

Anyone who knows anything about the incident is asked to call police on 101.