More than half a large car park in Northampton town centre remains cordoned off for investigation

The Upper Mounts Car Park was closed completely on Tuesday September 1 by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) to allow preparatory works to take place.

From Wednesday September 2, more than half of the car park was then cordoned off while archaeological trenching and site investigations are carried out.

Around 160 of Upper Mounts' 310 spaces are currently temporarily unavailable, while a further 36 spaces at the nearby Newlands Car Park will be affected by survey work.

Large piles of rubble can be seen inside the cordoned off area.

The investigations are expected to take up to two months and are being undertaken ahead of the submission of a hybrid planning application for the Greyfriars regeneration scheme.

The latest disruption comes after the 1,073-space Mayorhold multi-storey car park was closed in July due to concerns over crumbling concrete. The site is earmarked for demolition next year as part of the wider regeneration programme.

Just one car remains locked inside the Mayorhold more than eight weeks after the huge car park closed.

WNC said alternative town centre parking remains available and temporary signage will be installed to direct motorists.

The council has previously suggested motorists use sites including the 464-space St Michael's multi-storey and 810-space Grosvenor Centre multi-storey car parks.

Greyfriars is described by the council as the largest brownfield regeneration opportunity in Northampton and is being delivered in partnership with ECF.

The wider 25-acre regeneration scheme is expected to eventually deliver more than 1,000 homes alongside commercial, community, cultural and leisure spaces, new parks and improved public areas.

The first phase is expected to include more than 100 homes on the current Upper Mounts and Newlands car park sites, including townhouses, maisonettes and apartments centred around a community garden.