Former casino in Northampton – where £3.2m cannabis factory was found – goes up for sale

The former Aspers Casino in Commercial Street is being marketed by property agents JLL as a redevelopment opportunity.

The four-storey freehold site extends to around 42,200 sq ft and covers approximately 0.31 acres in Northampton town centre. It is being marketed as an ‘opportunity to acquire a prime redevelopment asset’.

The building has been vacant since Aspers Casino closed in October 2024.

The sales advert reads: “The size of the existing building, town centre location and mixed-use context allow for a range of redevelopment options, with flexibility to introduce hotel, office, retail or appropriately designed residential or student housing above active ground floor uses.”

The sales brochure also says the existing casino use is not protected, meaning a change of use could be considered without having to justify the loss of the casino.

Offers are being invited for the freehold interest on an unconditional basis. Interested parties are being asked to provide details of their proposed development plans, proof of funds and expected timescales for completing a purchase.

It comes just over a year after Northamptonshire Police discovered almost 8,000 cannabis plants growing across three floors of the building.

Officers forced their way into the former casino on October 30, 2025, after receiving intelligence from members of the public. The building had been heavily secured, with doors bricked up and rooms reinforced with steel.

Police used specialist equipment, including chainsaws, to gain entry.

Mantas Piparas, 36, was the only person arrested at the scene. He was later charged with producing cannabis and jailed for three years and nine months in February 2026.

Despite police saying the operation was likely to have been run by an organised crime group, no further arrests or charges have been made.

In response to a request for an update in October 2026, Northamptonshire Police said the investigation had been closed, although it could be reopened if new evidence came to light.