Market stalls fitted in Northampton Market Square as part of £10m revamp

Bespoke stalls have been fitted in Northampton’s Market Square, as part of a £10m regeneration project transforming the town centre. The rejuvenation scheme saw works begin on the square in February 2023 and officials have said they are still on track for a summer 2024 opening date.

Arriving from Italy, the stalls will offer a permanent location for small businesses trading in the market. Traders will be encouraged to put up branding and personalise their spaces. The vision for the area will also include high-quality seating and planting, a flexible event space, and a new water feature once the plaza is opened.

Cllr Dan Lister, cabinet member for town centre regeneration and growth, said: “There are massive amounts of work under the ground along with the archeology and the water feature, but getting the market sorted is the milestone where people can really see the market is coming back to what they know and love.”

The development will receive another batch of 16 specialist stalls in January 2024 and the next steps will be to install the relevant infrastructure and paving to house the stalls and connect the necessary utilities.

Adrian Barnes, regional director at Stenpell, the firm overseeing the multi-million pound project, said: “It’s going to look fantastic. You get a feel for the expanse of the area and it’s really going to upgrade Northampton town centre. It’s a big stepping stone in terms of the regeneration plans we’ve got.”

It will act as a passageway to Market Walk, another leisure facility receiving an upgrade through WNC’s Towns Fund. The £12m project, undertaken by developer STACK, will host a range of independent street food traders, a variety of bars, and a dedicated communal space for interactive games.

In the ten months that Market Square has been closed off, traders have had to move to another space in Commerical Street car park on the edge of town. Commercial Street lies a six-minute walk from Market Square and some stall owners have said that the new location is affecting their business.

WNC is not charging the traders rent whilst they are displaced by the construction works and says they have been trying to increase footfall