Petition launched to gather support for ‘crucial’ village hub in Brixworth

A planning application has been submitted for Brixworth Local Services Centre, on the southern edge of the village just off Northampton Road, which includes a small convenience store with pharmacy, spa and wellbeing centre, restaurant/takeaway, offices and a meeting hub, gym and a drive-thru coffee shop, along with 16 affordable homes.

The team behind the plans says the village desperately needs more, modern facilities to meet the evolving needs of current and future residents, and that the development of facilities in Brixworth has not kept pace with housing growth.

A petition has now been launched, ‘Say Yes to Brixworth Local Services Centre’, to give those in favour of the development the opportunity to add their support.

The plans have been shaped by what residents have said they would like to see in the village – and there is still an opportunity to have a say. The petition offers residents the chance to make suggestions as to what facilities they would like to see in Brixworth.

Land agent Joseph Soul said: “We are pleased to put forward plans for affordable homes and a village centre that would provide much-needed amenities for Brixworth.

“We have modelled the plans on feedback from residents and we are confident that the village centre would provide a range of facilities which go beyond those normally found in a neighbourhood centre.

“We are, however, still open to suggestions and we are keen to hear from residents across the wide spectrum of the village’s broad demographic to make sure this future-proofed development truly meets the needs of all villagers, both now and in years to come.

“By serving growing families and young professionals, the village centre will also help to safeguard the future of Brixworth.”

The plans cover an area which is 2.6 hectares, or six acres, in size, with Brixworth Cricket and Tennis Club lying to the south of the proposed development.

A major supermarket chain has already expressed an interest, says the letting agent for the site, Charles Church from Northampton property agents, Underwoods. There are hopes it could save villagers from having to travel further afield to Kingsthorpe, Sixfields or Market Harborough.

There are plans for more than 170 car parking spaces, including 59 electric charging points and for people using the disabled parking spots, separate electric charging points. This will help to alleviate the village’s current and future parking pressures, the developers say.

Mr Soul said the new facilities could help Brixworth flourish and build on its reputation as a desirable place to live.

He said: “The growth of the village has been overwhelmingly residential, yet this growth in population has not gone hand-in-hand with the development of additional facilities to meet the changing needs of Brixworth. We believe the addition of the village centre is a crucial one.

“It’s about providing the right facilities, too – for example, the proposed work and office spaces would satisfy modern, hybrid working practices.”

Developer Dr Dallas Burston has supported the Brixworth community since working in the village as a GP in the 1980s. He has previously employed 126 people in the village for his pharmaceutical company and spent his own funds to build the cricket and tennis centre in the early 1990s, for which he only charges £1 a year rent. He has also planted 29,000 vines at the vineyards, creating a fitting gateway to Brixworth.

The proposed Brixworth Local Services Centre also include the opportunity for the village to own Brixworth cricket and tennis clubs as part of a Section 106 agreement – known as a ‘planning gain’ – should the green light be given to the plans.

To add your name to the petition, Say Yes to Brixworth Local Services Centre, click here.