Former My 1st Years warehouse destroyed by a huge inferno is set to be rebuilt on Northampton industrial estate

A company’s plan to rebuild and extend a warehouse after a ferocious fire nearly two years ago is set for approval.

Federal Estates Ltd wants to rebuild its unit on Northampton’s Brackmills Industrial Estate after parts of it were destroyed by an arson attack on Saturday, May 1, 2021.

Northamptonshire Police has said it has filed the case without anyone being charged. However, it said the investigation could be reopened if new information came to light.

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 reused.

The building was used by personalised children’s toys and accessories company, My 1st Years, at the time of the fire. The firm lost £3m of stock and had to refund about 1,400 customers with outstanding orders

My 1st Years have since moved to Grange Park in Northampton on a ten-year lease.

The Brackmills scheme also includes a new electrical substation with a battery storage facility.

The storage would help solar energy from about 1,500 panels on the roof. Some of the power could be fed into the National Grid.

West Northamptonshire Council’s Northampton local area planning committee will be asked to approve the application at a meeting next Tuesday.