Creche on the cards for Northampton shopping centre

Plans have been submitted for the unit in the lower mall of the Weston Favell Centre. that is was until recently CC Hair Salon.

Savills, on behalf of the applicant, said a creche would be a very useful addition.

"The proposal will attract families to the centre by providing a creche that will provide a facility that will look after children whilst parents shop or work at the centre.

"This can only be of significant benefit to the wider operation and existing retail and commercial uses at the centre and supports the provision of a balanced community facility."

The unit, near Uncle Willy's Barber Shop has become available because CC Hair Salon has moved to the upper mall.

Savills said that the Weston Favell Centre needed to diversify to maintain its "vitality and viability".

"The focus for centres should be more than simply a location to shop - they should be locations to ... undertake leisure and meet service requirements in order to attract residents to them.

"The only way that this can be achieved is to deliver truly mixed use and balanced community locations, which is at the core of the 'town centre first' approach."

CC Hair Salon is now located near Nationwide Building Society in the upper mall.

Manager Emma Robinson said: "We'd outgrown the other shop and we needed more space to expand."