New plans to revamp Northampton shopping centre into student flats branded 'positive step' for town by business leader

A huge redevelopment scheme is in the pipeline to turn Market Walk Shopping Centre into 359 student bedrooms.

The scheme, which is subject to planning permission, will see the shopping centre, formerly known as Peacock Place, keep four retail units and four commercial units on the ground floor.

But an additional 6,000 sq m three-storey extension above the existing shopping centre could be built to accommodate hundreds of student ‘studio and cluster rooms’.

Mark Mullen, Business Improvement District (BID) operations and development manager, pictured, said: “Market Walk has struggled for many years to be a viable and vibrant shopping mall, with no direct route between the Market Square and Abington Street.

“In the climate of rapidly evolving retail it has succumbed to even higher vacancy rates and its layout has meant that there have been limited options for introducing new food and drink or leisure operators.”

The shopping arcade has been rebranded numerous times in recent years.

Last year the site went on the market for £2 million, which included plans for a potential hotel and student accommodation.

In 2017, the then owners were given planning permission to let empty shopping centre units to food, drink and leisure operators in a bid to increase footfall. The aim was to fill half a dozen units that had been empty for up to six years with cafes, bars and restaurants, as well as offices for professional and financial services.

And, before 2017 it had rebranded as a fashion destination but the loss of Next and Laura Ashley forced a rethink.

Mr Mullen added that the potential project can only be a positive step for the town.

“This proposed change of use complements the emerging plans of the rest of the town centre where an increasing number of people will live and adds to the welcome growth and investment of the university,” he said.

“This will certainly benefit existing businesses and potentially attract new ones, adding to the vibrancy of the Market Square, which has become more of a thoroughfare than a destination in its own right.

“This is a positive step in the transition of the town centre from a being retail dominated, to a place which serves the community as a whole.”

It comes as the Northampton Forward group put plans to radically transform the town centre out to consultation last year as part of its bid to attract £25 million worth of funding from the

Government.

More than 1,500 people attended open events where their proposals were put on display and 656 people sent in written responses to the plans.

The document, drawn up by architects 5Plus, focuses on five ‘quarters’ in the centre – Market Square, Marefair, Abington Street, Greyfriars and the Cultural Quarter.

Most recently, last month, two-fifths of survey respondents voted for a new-look Market Square with a linear water feature, an avenue of trees and permanent market stalls with a stepped seating section.

Owner of Lucci Leatherwear Parish Palmer has had his store for 25 years in Market Walk Shopping Centre.

He said: “It was vibrant when I first opened, there was not an empty shop. But I think it’s no longer valid as a shopping centre because it’s been empty like this for 10 years.

“It’s been a gradual decline in this shopping centre, Next started the decline, then Laura Ashley and Dorothy Perkins. Footfall is bad, there is no footfall. The only footfall you get is market traders using the toilet.”

Over the years Market Walk has also seen popular brands including Clintons, Jessops, Principles, Dolcis Early Learning Centre, Evans and Tie Rack come and go. Now, only a handful of shops remain.

Kardi Somerfield, senior lecturer in advertising and digital marketing at the University of Northampton, pictured, said: “There’s a general acceptance that shopping habits have changed resulting in an oversupply of retail space in most high streets in the UK.

“It makes economic sense to repurpose these urban spaces for residential use or leisure.

“In the case of Market Walk, if it becomes student housing, the resulting footfall would benefit the neighbouring retailers in Northampton.

“Students don’t necessarily have lots of disposable income to spend on shopping, but they do have some, and often will want to work part-time to supplement their finances and living centrally would make it easier for them to do this.”

The general public can comment on the planning application until March 24 - click this link to have your say.