Plans unveiled to convert former meeting place for notorious gangsters in Northampton into student flats

Plans have been unveiled to transform an abandoned Northampton snooker club, previously used as a base for gangsters, into student flats.

Proposals have been submitted by developers to West Northants Council to convert 32 Bridge Street, formerly the Cue Club, into 20 student flats.

There would be a three-storey extension to the site which would include the flats and also two kitchens and laundry facilities, a social space, complete with a gym, games room, lounge and reading area, according to the plans.

The applicant said: “The property has been closed for more than 10 years and remains vacant and redundant which subsequently is now in severe decay and neglect. During this period the property has been broken into several times over the years and most recently again in December 2021. The intruders have further vandalised the property by removing copper piping, cabling, lead from the flat roof. Causing an extensive amount of structural damage, damaging walls, ceilings, stairs, handrail, and spindles leaving behind a building which now requires a full extensive renovation.

“A considerable amount of expenditure is required to bring this building back to a usable state.

"This proposal will provide good quality student accommodation on Bridge Street where there are a significant number of large vacant units, this being one.

“Student populations have shown to positively impact areas on an economic and social level. Our proposal [is] to provide Northampton’s student population more choice within a suitable location meeting their requirements.

"Many towns and cities – Birmingham, Leicester, Manchester, and Coventry – have undergone a considerable amount of development in recent years to include high-rise buildings to future proof their towns and cities for the rise in their population numbers, including providing much-needed regeneration.

"This will bring back into use a disused building that has been closed more than 10 years.

"With Northampton seeking to attain ‘city’ status this development will provide much needed housing for the increase in population Northampton is expected to have in the coming years.”

In terms of the location, the building is situated on the town’s busiest street for night life and also in the All Saints Conservation area.

Planning papers say: “We are conscious of the impact of noise from the adjacent buildings, traffic and late-night revellers and so, our intention is to provide high quality student accommodation where the occupants will not be affected in any way whilst they reside here within comfortable housing to aid in their studies without interruption and support student wellbeing.”

There will be no parking provision as part of the scheme.

"There will be no provision required for vehicle parking in this scheme as students do not typically own a car,” says the applicant.

The site was a meeting spot for the notorious Burger Bar Boys, according to a former undercover police officer.

The Burger Bar Boys were the main street gang in Birmingham for more than two decades and contributed to the deaths of dozens of young victims.

A revealing account of the Burger Bar Boys can be found in Shaun Attwood's True Crime Podcast where former undercover police officer, Neil Woods, goes into depth about how he infiltrated the midlands gang and how he was nearly killed at The Racecourse in Northampton around the mid-2010s.

Click here to view the plans.