Councils hints that Northampton Marks & Spencer store could be redeveloped into apartments

Is there a plan underway to redevelop Northampton's empty Marks & Spencer?
By Alastair Ulke
Published 29th Jun 2020, 18:06 BST
Updated 30th Jun 2020, 17:59 BST
The development was first teased in an artists impression at a conference on June 26 - this shows the corner of Abington Street and Wellington Street.The development was first teased in an artists impression at a conference on June 26 - this shows the corner of Abington Street and Wellington Street.
The development was first teased in an artists impression at a conference on June 26 - this shows the corner of Abington Street and Wellington Street.

An artist's impression has teased how the empty Northampton town centre Marks & Spencer unit could be redeveloped into apartments and shops.

Northampton's Marks & Spencer in Abington Street has been standing empty ever since it closed down in 2018.

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Along with the neighbouring former BHS store, it is one of the largest retail units in the town that has still not found a permanent occupant.

The multi-storey development would be made up of apartments with shops on the bottom floor facing the street.The multi-storey development would be made up of apartments with shops on the bottom floor facing the street.
The multi-storey development would be made up of apartments with shops on the bottom floor facing the street.

Now, the Northampton Forward board is considering letting the empty unit be redeveloped into a multi-storey "mixed-used" apartment building with room for shops facing the high street.

The development was hinted during a conference by the Northampton Forward board on Friday (June 26), but is reportedly still in the early stages of consideration.

Brendan Bruder, co-chair of the town centre BID and managing director of Abbeyross Chartered Surveyors, told the board it could shape up to create a "new residential quarter" for the town.

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He said: "However, some of these older sites are quite challenging because a lot of the buildings contain asbestos. Meanwhile, because of the nature of that town centre site, some of the development costs are in excess than that of a clear site."

The project would reportedly need combined funding by developers and the borough council to become a reality.

Related topics:NorthamptonMarks & SpencerAbington StreetBHS

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