Abandoned Grade II former shoe factory site in Northampton, with planning permission for 97 homes, up for sale at £4m
A Grade II listed, vacant former shoe factory in Northampton, with planning permission for 97 homes, has been put up for sale for £4 million.
The long-abandoned Bective Works site in Kingsthorpe has been listed for sale, one year after Jardine Homes Ltd was granted planning permission to transform it into 97 new homes.
Estate agents handling the sale, Connells, have described it as an “outstanding opportunity” for the redevelopment of a brownfield site in Northampton.
The 0.69 hectare site, which is the equivalent of one football pitch, is divided into two sections. The western part contains 20th-century industrial buildings in poor condition and scrubland, while the eastern part is home to the Grade II listed Enterprise House. This historic building also features a contemporary two-storey extension that was once used as offices and a workshop for Bective Works.
The proposed development will include 97 homes in total, made up of a mix of apartments, townhouses, and terraced properties. This includes 72 apartments, with 19 one-bedroom homes, 15 two-bedroom homes for three people, and 31 two-bedroom homes for four people. Additionally, 25 townhouses will be built, including 21 three-bedroom homes for five people. The Grade II listed Enterprise House will be refurbished and converted into four townhouses and seven apartments. The townhouses will consist of one two-bedroom home for three people and three two-bedroom homes for four people. The apartments will include one one-bedroom home for one person, two one-bedroom homes for two people, and four two-bedroom homes for four people.
The development will provide parking for 97 vehicles, with one parking space for each residential home. Of these, 59 spaces will be located in an undercroft parking area beneath the apartment building. The remaining 31 spaces will be situated externally, adjacent to the site’s access and at the rear of the terraced properties along Yelvertoft Road. Access to the site will be from Bective Road, with a new two-way junction planned for entry and exit.
Conservative councillor Sam Rumens (Kingsthorpe North ward) said: “This site has been awaiting development for a long time now. We need to find a balanced way to get something on it that is viable for a developer, but also has support from local residents.
“This feeds into the wider regeneration we are pushing for in Kingsthorpe, along with sites like The White Horse, The Methodist Church, and other improvements needed in and around Kingsthorpe Front.”
The site has seen several planning applications in recent years. In 2022, permission was granted to redevelop the site into student accommodation, with plans for 356 student flats. However, planning officers said that this proposal has not moved forward.
A West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) planning officer previously said: “It is understood that the university has since relocated to a new site, and therefore, the authority considers the student accommodation proposal is unlikely to proceed. The site does not meet modern warehousing or industrial standards, and bringing the site into such uses is considered unlikely. Therefore, the residential use on the site is considered to be its optimum viable use.”
Speaking to the Chronicle & Echo in July 2023, resident Anthony Ward, aged 73, described living next to the abandoned Bective Works building as a living “nightmare” due to multiple arson attacks on the Grade II listed property.