£5 million refurbishment works on Northampton town centre's main shopping streets STILL PAUSED

Works by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) to refurbish Abington Street and Fish Street, giving the area a new look, are still on hold.

On December 12, contractors Kier ‘temporarily paused’ the work to ‘minimise disruption’ due to the festive season. However, works have not yet restarted three months later.

Then, in January, WNC explained that the hold-up in restarting the works was due to a mix-up in materials delivered.

In February, a Kier spokesman said: “Regeneration works on Abington and Fish Street remain paused whilst we ensure a high standard of materials are delivered by our supply chain. Our teams are working hard to recommence work here as soon as possible. Thank you for your patience.”

The project began in February 2024 and was due to be “mostly complete” by November 2024, with some finishing touches expected in the New Year. However, now in March 2025, the street is still fenced off in areas awaiting Kier to return.

Despite the lack of action, WNC says the project is not delayed because it was still scheduled to be completed by Winter 24/25, which lasts until Spring begins next Thursday (March 20).

However, if the works are not completed after this date, the project will be considered delayed by WNC.

Providing the latest update, a WNC spokeswoman said: “We are anticipating restart next week, but the contractor still needs to confirm this is fixed.

“We are working collaboratively with Kier to minimise disruption and complete the outstanding work on Abington and Fish Street as soon as possible. We have been working with our supply chain to ensure high-quality materials are provided. We will notify businesses and stakeholders as soon as we have confirmed dates. We appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding during this time.”