PICTURES: Here's what the old Debenhams in Northampton looks like now as works progress on £12m student flats project

Here’s what the former Debenhams site in Northampton town centre looks like now as construction works progress to convert it into hundreds of student flats.

Many Chron and Echo readers will have noticed the gaping hole in Drapery where Debenhams once stood – here’s what we know about the site.

Zone Developers, based in Leicester, is turning the site into 201 student flats which will be spread across seven floors of a brand new building.

The building was demolished in October 2022 after being there for more than 140 years in the town.

Planning papers say that construction work began on November 7 following the demolition in October and that the project’s value stands at a whopping £12million.

According to the plans, the ‘luxury’ student accommodation building will include a central courtyard by demolishing part of the store as well as a retail unit, bicycle and bin storage, entertainment rooms, a lounge, a gym, a laundry room, study spaces and rooftop terraces.

Access to the building will be from the Drapery, with secondary entrances from Swan Yard Lane and College Street, according to the plans.

A timescale for the completion of the works was not specified in the planning papers.

Zone Developers and WNC have been contacted for comment for further information.

Debenhams had been a fixture in the town centre since 1952 after taking over the Adnitt Brothers store and rebranding it in 1973, who had been a feature on the Drapery dating back to the late-1870s.

Over the road from the site, West Northants Council’s £8.4million works to refurbish the Market Square are three months into the 18-month project – click here to read an update.