Plans approved for new farm shop and café to open on the edge of Northampton

Proposals to convert a former agricultural barn on the Courteenhall Estate into a new food and shopping destination called The Knot have been given the green light.

The plans were submitted by the applicant, the Courteenhall Estate, in April 2025 and have this month (December) been approved by West Northamptonshire Council.

According to plans, the project will see the old fertiliser and grain store at West Lodge Farm converted into a two-storey café, a large farm shop and a small commercial unit for a local business. The building will keep much of its agricultural appearance but be fully refitted inside.

The plans also include a new mezzanine seating area, a bigger butchery space, improved staff facilities and more customer toilets.

Outside, the site will have a reworked car park with a total of 83 spaces. New landscaping will surround the building, along with outdoor seating and planting. Customers will use a new entrance from Courteenhall Road.

A new footpath link will connect the venue directly to the walking and cycling route recently created along the A508, giving people in Roade and nearby workplaces a safe, off-road way to reach the site.

The wider cluster of former farm buildings at West Lodge has already been partly converted to commercial use, and the estate intends for The Knot to form part of a broader mix of rural businesses and community-focused amenities, according to plans.

Images submitted with the plans show the redesigned barn with new cladding, large windows, outdoor seating and a landscaped entrance, along with the new car park layout.

The project is expected to generate around 15 full-time and 15 part-time jobs.

In a statement, the Estate said: ”As this barn at West Lodge is no longer required for the farming practices of the Estate, the scheme provides both employment opportunities and a farm shop/café for the surrounding communities through the sustainable reuse of an existing building.

"This application will further diversify the Estate’s farming business to sustain its future and widen the sources of income. This application… will deliver a local facility that will benefit local residents and adjacent and nearby staff employed in the various business in close proximity to the site. The commercial unit will support local businesses and the whole site will provide employment opportunities across a range of roles.”