10 of the biggest stories to make headlines in Northampton during January 2024

From severe flooding at the start of the month, to the last-day-of-the-month announcement that the Northamptonshire Police chief constable will face a misconduct hearing, January has been a busy one for news across Northampton.

The Chronicle & Echo team has published more than 900 stories in the first month of the year, bringing you breaking news, business features, retro picture galleries and more.

We’ve had sad business closures, plans submitted for a new leisure complex and a critical incident declared at Northampton General Hospital – to name just a few.

Below is a round-up of ten of the biggest stories to make headlines in Northampton in January 2024. If you missed any of them, click the link to read more.

Ten of the biggest stories in Northampton from January 2024

1. With the start of the new year came major flooding in Northampton – thanks to Storm Henk. Billing Aquadrome was hit particularly bad, as residents had to be evacuated.
2. Gravity Social – a bar in Sol Central where customers could play mini golf, interactive darts and duck pin bowling – closed for good.
3. Plans were officially submitted for a multi-million pound leisure hub in the town centre. Plans are now awaiting decision from West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).
4. Iceland confirmed it will be shutting its St Peter’s Way store for refurbishment, to reopen as The Food Warehouse, which will be double the size.
5. An date for the reopening of Sandy Lane between Harpole and Duston was finally revealed. It has been shut since June 2023 for reconstruction works.
6. Plans were submitted to build 800 homes close to the quiet village of Great Houghton. Objections have been raised and it is now in the hands of WNC to decide.
7. Also in January, we collated the best rated restaurants in Northampton, according to Google Reviews, to help you decide where to eat out.
8. New parking rules were announced at Weston Favell Shopping Centre on January 17. From February 1, free, unlimited parking will become free parking for three hours. If shoppers want to stay for longer they will have to speak to customer services. In January, the shopping centre also hit headlines for confirming two new businesses – one of which is Butterwick – will be opening soon. Bosses are also in talks with a tenant to fill the former Wilko unit.
9. A critical in incident at Northampton General Hospital – and Kettering General Hospital – was declared on January 25, due to “large rise in demand for services”. Residents were told to only attend A&E in “life threatening emergencies”. The critical incident is ongoing.
10. On the last day of the month, the police watchdog announced that their investigation concluded that Northamptonshire Police chief constable Nick Adderley should face a gross misconduct hearing for the allegations about wearing his brother’s Falklands War medal on the wrong side of his chest. The commissioner for Northamptonshire confirmed a hearing would take place, with a date to be confirmed. The IOPC’s criminal investigation is ongoing.

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