New dental surgery moves another step closer to opening at Northampton town centre retail park

Proposals were submitted in November 2023 to convert the former ‘Bar With No Name’ in St Peter’s Retail Park into a private dental practice called The Hub Dental Practice.

Those plans were approved in February of this year, and just this week, plans for branded signage to be erected have been submitted, which usually indicates that the site has everything it needs to open.

In terms of the surgery, it will be fully private and will not accept any NHS patients, according to the plans.

A Hub Dental Practice spokesman said: “The proposals aim to provide a new use to a vacant site which will continue to benefit the local economy while also providing a healthcare service to the community. It is believed the current public house site is not listed as an asset of community value and that a business such as The Hub Dental Practice will provide a welcome addition to St Peters Walk.

"It is this application’s intention to boost the number of dentists provided in Northampton and offer an additional healthcare service within the local community. Due to the site’s accessible location, it will provide the opportunity for most people with or without access to a vehicle within the Northampton area to get to the proposed site.”

The Hub Dental Practice has had a site in Milton Keynes for over 40 years, according to its website. That site boasts a 4.6 out of five-star rating from over 1,300 Google reviews.

One reviewer said: “Wow, what a fabulous service. Called at 9 am, seen at midday. So efficient, clean, and professional. Very pricey, but with the current state of NHS dentistry, there is little other option when you’re in agony.”

St Peter’s Retail Park was bought by investment company Northhold Group from DTZ Investors at the start of 2023 for an undisclosed fee.

During their tenure, the investors’ first act was to scrap the controversial NCP parking contract at the site. Since then, they have introduced The Food Warehouse to replace the former Iceland store and expanded into the former discount store One Below. Most recently, private medical practice Med Life opened its doors in September but is only available via bookings. However, the fashion brand Fine White Line has still not opened, and its current status remains unknown.