Nearly 1,500 student flats could now be built across Northampton in next five years

There are now three major plans in place to bring drastic changes to Northampton’s Market Square.

The first is the work to build 69 student flats out of the former Balestra nightclub along with a World Buffet restaurant on the ground floor.

The second is the borough council’s own vision to renovate the tired-looking square with a fountain, seating and trees using the Government’s £25m ‘future high streets’ fund - although this is yet to get the greenlight.

And now, thirdly, architects Corstophine Wright have submitted a plan to build three new floors on top of Market Walk and convert the shopping centre into 359 student bedrooms.

Together, it could create a sort of ‘grand plaza’ in the town centre and be the big change needed to reinvigorate our town centre. What big chain brands could resist a fresh-looking market square with up to 400 students living upstairs?

But there is a wider picture. More and more, it seems the town centre is placing most, if not all, of its bets for its future regeneration on students.

Planning documents in the past three years show the way the wind seems to be blowing, with more and more schemes aiming to bring more students into the town and being generous with their cash.

The number of applications in place to build student accommodation in the town is astonishing.

Altogether, since 2017, there have been plans put forward to build a total of more than 1,480 new student flats across the town centre.

It is mostly made up of 10 major proposals across the town. They include 347 rooms on Bective Walk in Kingsthorpe, 188 new rooms on the Waterside Campus, as well as 400 rooms especially for student nurses at the Riverside House off Bedford Road.

On top of that is the Balestra plan for 69 rooms, a plan in Bridge Street for 41, another 24 above the Ridings and 21 above the Motion Bar and Club in Albert Place.

And now, there are 359 student flats proposed for Market Walk. The planned provision for students to come and live in the town dwarves what is available for other groups like young professionals. The most concerted effort to build for young professionals is the Clock House plan at Belgrave House, which will build 124 ‘worker’ flats for people “working within a 10-minute walk”.

Cabinet member of the Borough Council’s planning James Hill, pictured far left, says he only sees the plans as a way to bring people back into the town centre.

He said: “I wouldn’t say it’s a case of getting more students to live in the town in as much as it is getting more residents.

“It’s part of a wider initiative. Footfall like in any other town has been dropping for a number of years and now we have some larger units standing empty that we’re not likely to replace. I would say the council has an initiative to look at those empty units and attempt to use them in different ways. I also think it takes pressure off of houses in multiple occupancy (HMOs) in the town. To me, purpose-built student accommodation is preferable to family homes going out of action to make HMOs.”

Which raises the question of how much student accommodation is needed in Northampton.

The university on average enrols 12,000 students a year. Of those, 2,000 live across official UoN accommodation, roughly 5,000 live in HMOs and 5,000 live at home. The UoN says they believe only 100 live in privately-owned halls of residence.

All of nearly 1,500 student flats mentioned earlier will be private, and in turn balloon the provision of private student flats in town. It can be hoped it will draw some of the 5,000 students away from HMOs - but statistically students tend to only go to halls in their first year and find a houseshare HMO for the rest of their studies.

So what happens in a worst-case scenario where the flats are built and not enough students move in?

“This needs to be closely monitored in the future,” says Abington ward Labour councillor, Zoe Smith, pictured left.

“Student flats can be built without landlords having to make S106 contributions to the borough.

“Then, if or when landlords decide they can’t fill them with enough students they can later change them into high-price single person accommodation, which they can charge full price for and get away without paying 106 contributions.

“It must be very closely watched to make sure this doesn’t happen.

“Meanwhile, there needs to be a focus on making life affordable for people living and working in the town.”