Green lights for 'exciting' ex-University of Northampton campus homes and art studio's new home refurb

The creation of 170 homes on the former University of Northampton campus and refurbishment of a town centre building for an art studio's new home are a step closer.

Northampton Borough Council's cabinet agreed to the Avenue Campus development in principle and to find a contractor for the work at 24 Guildhall Road at a meeting on Wednesday (February 17).

The refurbishment and repairs will allow NN Contemporary Art to relocate from its current home, which is it has outgrown, using a £1.15 million government grant and £385,000 from the council.

On the Avenue Campus scheme, councillor Tim Hadland said: "Another really exciting housing project for Northampton."

Leader Jonathan Nunn added: "Absolutely agree with that, isn't it just. It's absolutely tremendous, the regeneration of an important set of buildings and site and an opportunity for 170 new homes. It's fantastic."

The university already has hybrid planning permission for the unneeded Avenue Campus, which the council has agreed to buy through its housing association, Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH).

Planning permission to demolish most of the Maidwell Building for 58 flats, convert the Basset Lowke Building into 48 apartments, turn the Quinton Building back into a house and build 63 more homes was approved in October.

But the council's cabinet needed to ratify the decision in principle to go ahead with the St George's Avenue redevelopment as all affordable homes before grant bids can be submitted and the project can get underway.

Councillor Brandon Eldred said: "We promised we'd make sure houses are built in Northampton borough and we're keeping to that promise.

"We might be selling a few through Right to Buy but we're building more than what we're selling now, which is a very positive step forward, it's what we promised and it's what we're delivering."

NN Contemporary Art is currently closed while it moves from 9 to 24 Guildhall Road after being granted planning permission and given a £1.15 million government grant last year.

A fresh application by the council, which owns the building, to make eight changes of use to convert it from a former Northamptonshire County Council office was unanimously approved on Tuesday.

The new base would have a gallery, a reception and seating area, project space, nine artist studios offering work and research space for artists, an education room for 10 people with audio-visual technology for presentations, a staff room, an office, a kitchen and toilets.

Cllr Hadland said: "This is again another exciting project in the Cultural Quarter. We bought the building a few years ago with the intention of combining it with the museum.

"That wasn't possible but as luck would have it, NN Contemporary Art was going to be homeless so we were able to buy this, do a minor refurbishment on it and get them in there to ensure they stayed in business and stayed in the Cultural Quarter of Northampton."

Cllr Nunn added: "As you said, another exciting project, so much wonderful stuff going on in that area with the museum ready to open when the lockdown finishes and NN Contemporary Gallery making an important contribution to the cultural life of the town and a contribution they're looking to increase so it's tremendously exciting and commendations to all those who've been involved in bringing this project so far."