Northamptonshire business owner backs plans for office space in proposed village hub

A business owner has said that plans for shared office space in Brixworth are “100 percent what the village needs” to support start-ups and the self-employed.

Proposals for Brixworth Local Services Centre, north of the cricket club off Northampton Road, include a community co-working hub, a gym, pharmacy, business units and a convenience store.

Abigail Mackenzie, who lives in Brixworth, is managing director of digital marketing agency, You & Me Collective.

After working from home for nearly two years, Abigail and her business partner are looking for new premises and say the plans could be the perfect solution.

Abigail said: “I think there’s a huge need for something like this in the village – a dedicated area for entrepreneurs.

“As well as collaborating opportunities, you can share experiences, even if you don’t work in the same industry.

“We have spoken to other entrepreneurs and they’ve said it’s 100 percent what we need in the local area.

“We’ve already talked about the idea of holding regular networking events, or whether there could be a space for drop-in sessions, such as access to mental health services.”

Developers behind the plans say that up to 100 jobs could be created if the scheme gets the go-ahead by West Northamptonshire Council.

A conditional offer of occupation has been secured with a major convenience store operator, and half of the site is already in negotiations for tenancy agreements.

If approval is granted, the centre could solve the village’s ongoing parking crisis, bringing 113 parking spaces, including disabled bays and superfast electric car charging ports.