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Plans have been submitted to build a new local centre on the edge of a Northamptonshire village, which would provide a wide range of community facilities including a spa, gymnasium, local convenience store, pharmacy and more.

Applicant Ekeney Consulting is looking to expand the offering to Brixworth and nearby villages by building the complex off Northampton Road, just above the village’s cricket and tennis club.

The development will comprise a gymnasium/dance hall, a row of buildings containing offices and small business units, a convenience store and pharmacy and a drive-through coffee shop. Proposals state that the applicant is already in discussions with “one of the country’s largest retailers” to provide the supermarket.

Designs also set out a street of 16 affordable homes to the west of the cricket club and a brand-new spa and wellness centre just below the existing access road leading in from Northampton Road.

Proposed designs for the local centre, taken from planning application.

Many previous iterations of the same scheme have been submitted to the council for planning permission, but have not come to fruition. This is the first plan to put forward a residential offer and to consider building a spa on an existing unused structure.

Planning documents wrote: “The applicant is aware of strong interest locally for community and leisure facilities to include a gymnasium, dance school and small office suites which are becoming increasingly popular to satisfy modern day hybrid working practices.

“High quality facilities should be provided with the support of local communities to obviate the need for unnecessary travel. This scheme presents an unrivalled opportunity to plan pragmatically and positively to meet the 21st century needs of Brixworth.

“This proposal will provide substantial benefits to the community of Brixworth and to ‘outlying communities’ who may similarly take advantage of the enhanced community facilities.”

The proposals encompass an area of land on the outskirts of Brixworth, between the village and the cricket club.

The new local services car park would contain 100 parking spaces, along with a further 74 bays for the spa retreat.

Plans are currently out for public consultation which you can view here. Brixworth Parish Council submitted an objection to the scheme in June saying they do not support it “at this time”.

West Northamptonshire Council are due to make a decision on the scheme by August 15.

Plans submitted for new local centre including dance school, pharmacy and more in Northamptonshire village