Council reaches ‘milestone’ in £9 million Northampton town centre regeneration project

West Northamptonshire Council has reached a “milestone” in its £9 million regeneration project to transform Northampton town centre.

The Four Waterside and Marefair Development project, which is situated near the town’s railway station, is one of the largest brownfield development opportunities across the county and will provide office space, a new hotel and high-quality homes to the area.

The regeneration project is forecast to start on-site work in Spring 2025 and is expected to be complete by Summer 2032. The council has secured £1.5 million from the Towns Fund and £7 million from the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone to deliver the project.

In a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, October 10, West Northamptonshire Council decided on a development partner to work with in order to execute the massive transformation.

Councillor Daniel Lister, cabinet member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth, said at the meeting: “This is a milestone, really, in one of our regeneration projects. This is a site that has been empty for too long in my view. It’s really exciting.”

Central Northampton’s office market has been historically constrained by the strength of its out-of-town business parks. However, the aspiration is that Four Waterside will create a new office destination in the town centre, acting as a “catalyst” for the growth of “high-quality employment opportunities”.

The five acres of cleared land opposite Northampton train station is currently described in the council report as an “eyesore within the town centre”, but that the “development has the potential to have a transformational impact upon Northampton town centre and beyond”.

Located next to the River Nene, the site was previously a gas works and has remained vacant since the council bought the land. It is part of a wider regeneration scheme to rejuvenate 11 spaces across Northampton centre, including the Market Square and Abington Street.

As part of the Northampton Town Investment Plan process, there was extensive consultation with the community and stakeholders. Four Waterside and Marefair were ranked highly, with 64 per cent placing Four Waterside as the top priority.