Northampton carnival returns this summer with new route through town centre

Northampton Carnival will return to its new home at the Racecourse for the third year running later this summer.
The Northampton Carnival returns on June 9.The Northampton Carnival returns on June 9.
The Northampton Carnival returns on June 9.

But the parade of floats and decorated trucks will be steering a new course through the town after organisers ran into complaints over traffic last year.

This year, it will instead make its way from the town centre up Wellingborough Road and turn on Abington Avenue get back to the Racecourse.

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The carnival returns on Saturday, June 9, and will have a theme of "peace, hope and unity".

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Chairman of the Northampton Carnival Committee Morcea Walker said: "We're really pleased that the parade is going to be using this route. It's safer and it lets the carnival showcase on a main road.

"We hope charities, organisations and everyone in the town will take the opportunity to hold their own stalls and events as the carnival comes past."

Last year, some 9,000 people lined the streets of Northampton to see a feast of music, dancing and colour sweep through the town centre with over 30 floats and troupes on board to lead the way.

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Morcea said: "We want people to come into Northampton, come to the park and take the opportunity to shop and look at the stalls run by our organisations.

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The 2017 route saw the carnival turn onto Roseholme Road, off Wellingborough Road, before taking Adnitt Road to return to the Racecourse. This route was opposed by police as the narrow residential streets caused traffic problems, leading to this year's revised course.

The proposed route will start at the Racecourse and head onto Kettering Road, Abington Square, York Road, St Giles Street, Hazelwood Road, Derngate and pause at All Saints Church. It will continue up Abington Street to Abington Square, Wellingborough Road to Park Avenue, Abington Avenue, Abington Grove and back to the Racecourse.

Buses will operate as usual on the day of the Carnival. There will also be parking on the Racecourse.

Road signs will be placed two weeks before the day to warn motorists that the road will be closed on June 9.