Northants County Cricket Club reveals plan to build 'state-of-the-art', multi-million pound facility on the edge of Northampton

Northants County Cricket Club has submitted plans to build a ‘state-of-the-art’, multi-million pound facility on the edge of Northampton.

The club has submitted proposals to create a new multi-purpose facility on council-owned land adjacent to Boughton Lane in Moulton.

The new facility would ‘complement’ its existing home at The County Ground and ‘dramatically increase’ its impact on the Northants community, the region, and English cricket, the club said.

The proposed facility will include two pitches - one meeting County Championship standard and the other designated for academy/pathway cricket. Additionally, it will feature a double-sided pavilion with changing and catering areas for both pitches and a machine shed, a stand capable of accommodating 2,000 spectators, an academy indoor training facility with six ‘international quality’ lanes, an outdoor net facility and fitness area, gym and physio facilities, a grass viewing bank, and a landscaped and maintained walking area for local residents, according to plans.

The proposed facility will also serve as a home for the NCCC Steelbacks Charitable Foundation, act as a regional hub for women’s and girls’ cricket as well as disability cricket, offer a ‘world-class’ cricket academy venue, provide a venue for youth pathway cricket across all age groups, support recreational cricket and community initiatives, and offer a high-quality playing area capable of staging County 1st & 2nd team cricket, according to the club.

A club spokesman said: “The project offers a unique opportunity to design and build a sustainable, energy-efficient venue, which can act as a valuable blueprint for future cricket facility development, while supporting our environmental responsibilities and commitments. The proposed new venue has the potential to positively impact the lives of many people.”

NCCC said it could take up to five years to build and went on to address the need for outside investment.

The spokesman said: “Although NCCC is financially stable and profitable, it does not have the necessary reserves to fund this vital project. The club will be able to provide £500k – £1m ‘seed’ funding. Partner funding will be sought for the balance of the capital cost from grant financing from the ECB, the major UK sporting funds, charitable organisations with strong sporting connections, and local government sources.”

Addressing its current home at Wantage Road, the club say it plans to continue to upgrade and improve the iconic venue.

The spokesman said: “Once the new facility has been confirmed, we can start to realise our growth plans for Wantage Road, continuing to host County Cricket matches, including all T20 and ODC 50 Over games, improving and expanding the hospitality offerings, extending the cricket square to accommodate a minimum of six practice wickets, limiting the Lynn Wilson Indoor Cricket Centre to adult training, and maximising the opportunity to hire out the Hevey Suite and The Curo Lounge for more catered and hospitality events, generating valuable income for the club.”

Plans to lease land to NCCC for a 125-year period will be discussed at WNC’s cabinet meeting on Tuesday, February 13.

A WNC spokesman said: “The lease would be at a nominal rent unless the site became genuinely profitable above £50k (inflation-adjusted) per year, in which case the Council would receive 50% of the profit. The risks posed by the proposal are considered to be manageable. The council would not be investing money in the scheme and if the scheme failed for any reason the Council would be left with the site to do with as it saw fit.”