Northampton BID column: 2024 was a big year for Northampton but 2025 looks set to be even more special
Here at Northampton Town Centre Business Improvement District we would like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas.
It’s been a big year for Northampton and the BID is proud to have played its part in the continued regeneration of our town centre. We’ve seen the reopening of the Market Square and that is having a really powerful impact on the town, with huge crowds flocking to events on the launch weekend, to celebrate Diwali and for the Christmas lights switch-on.
Work is coming to an end on Abington Street and Fish Street and we look forward to a bright new era for our main shopping streets, with lots of other exciting projects in the pipeline.
2024 has seen the BID focus on creating a culture of collaboration with partners – we firmly believe that by working together we can achieve so much more for our town centre.
Over the past year we have worked closely with the team at Northampton College to improve the areas in St Katherine’s Gardens and St Giles Churchyard, with support from partners including Kier and Stepnell.
We have teamed up with Northamptonshire Police and the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to crack down on retail crime and anti-social behaviour and we’re delighted to see a commitment to increasing foot patrols in our town centre to ensure that criminals know they are not welcome in our town centre.
We’ve loved seeing the crowds return to our town centre in 2024, with huge turnouts for events such as the Saints victory parade and the cycling Tour of Britain. We are looking forward to more major civic occasions in 2025 as we prepare to welcome the women’s Rugby World Cup to town and also commemorate the 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of Northampton.
As always, we will endeavour to ensure the voice of our business community is heard loud and proud throughout 2025 as we champion everything that makes our town centre stand out from the crowd.
Our independent spirit, our commitment to exceptional customer service and our sense of engaging entrepreneurialism means that a visit to Northampton is always a treat and we will work tirelessly to spread that message and encourage even greater footfall into our town centre.
We would urge everyone to support their local retailers this Christmas and shop local for those all-important last-minute gifts wherever possible.
Spending your money in Northampton rather than adding to your online basket makes a huge difference, supporting the local economy and giving local businesses and the people who run them a much-needed boost at a crucial time in the retail calendar.
Have a brilliant Christmas and join us here in Northampton for a prosperous New Year.