Former school and industrial development among assets to be sold by West Northamptonshire Council
A former school and industrial development owned by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) will be sold on, as well as two plots of land that will be handed over for £1 each.
The sites on the chopping block include the former Southfield Primary School site in Brackley and an industrial development site in Heartlands, Daventry. The two public open spaces, located in Wootton High Street and Cracks Hill in Crick, are now under the ownership of their respective parish councils.
According to the asset transactions report, the former primary school, which closed in July 2024 due to a shortfall in pupils, is likely to be demolished and used for housing once sold. However, an existing theatre block on the site will be kept, along with 50 car parking spaces for the community.
The theatre building has been identified as a site for a family hub location serving the south-east of the district and could accommodate other community activities, subject to the outcomes of consultation on family hub provision across West Northants.
WNC said “extensive checks” were made to see if there was a viable educational use for the site, but none came forward.
Speaking at the meeting, Brackley Councillor Fiona Baker said the closure of the school had been “pretty devastating” to the town, but that she had been working ever since to retain part of the site for cultural and community services.
She said: “The space can provide a permanent home for a ‘spoke’ of the family hub service, the much-loved Youth club, a community larder, a stem school for SEND students, along with other early health groups that currently lack a dedicated venue.
“Now is the time to invest in infrastructure for Brackley that supports the expanding community.”
Another parcel of land on Heartlands, which was originally held by the now-defunct Daventry District Council (DDC), will also be disposed of to generate income for the council.
The site was supposed to come forward as a new-build opportunity for the council, however WNC said that no deliverable scheme for the land had been identified. The report notes, in particular, its location on a business park which would prevent residential use due to noise issues.
It is, however, considered that there is likely to be local demand for purchasing the site.
The report also said transferring Cracks Hill in Crick and land at Wootton High Street for a nominal price would mean that they would be better managed by the communities they serve and remove the burden from WNC.
The site in question in Wootton is located off the High Street by the Yeoman pub and offers a green open space and footpath, mainly used by the properties which face onto it.
The £1 price tags for Wootton Parish Council and Crick Parish Council were justified by the community benefit and the potential for them to maximise the social and recreational use of the sites. Should the parishes wish to sell the land in the future, WNC would have the right to be offered it back first, and the use would be limited to recreational and community purposes.
Councillor Rosie Humphreys, ward member for Braunston and Crick, said: “Cracks Hill is known and loved by everyone in Crick, it’s widely used by the villages and outdoor amenity for ramblers, dog walkers and families.
“The Parish Council has long wished to have ownership of this local landmark and will be delighted if the transfer process is approved.”
The council is also seeking to formalise its ownership of two parcels of green space in Northampton, which it has already been maintaining. These include land at Green Lane, by Hunsbury Hill Park, and land off the former route of a road between Northampton and Little Billing.
It explained that this would solidify the council’s title on the land and enable it to better manage any anti-social behaviour on it.
All asset transactions were approved by the WNC Cabinet at a meeting on Wednesday July 16.