Plans unveiled for local centre with large convenience store and six commercial units at huge development in Northamptonshire

Midpoint No.1 Limited has been working alongside Persimmon Homes to deliver a main local centre in Towcester Grange, which will provide a number of shops and amenities to residents. The project benefits from outline planning permission granted in 2015 for up to 2,750 homes along with local centres, employment land and schools.

The site will be on the corner of Redcar Road and Long Morris, directly opposite Marie Weller Primary School. Much of the surrounding area has already been built out as a residential neighbourhood.

According to the plans, the site will offer a large convenience store and six additional commercial units. There will also be a mixture of houses and flats around a central public parking provision.

The commercial units have been designed to accommodate a range of uses, including retail, professional services, cafés, restaurants, drinking establishments, and takeaways. Plans state that no occupiers or tenants for the units have been identified at this point.

The development is focused around a central shared car park with 43 parking spaces, which forms an open square. The proposed convenience store would be located on the northern side of the car park and the row of shops would be positioned along the eastern edge.

The applicant has also put forward plans for residential properties alongside the centre to “ensure the efficient use of the site”. This would be made up of five two to three-bedroom houses and six two-bed flats above the shops.

One person has already submitted an objection to the plans, stating that the housing, which was not explicitly part of the outline permission, would be taking away from parking spaces and room for other businesses.

They continued: “The requirement for employment in Towcester is substantial, not warehouse but quality administrative positions, office jobs. I would ask that an amendment is made to remove the housing, expand the car parking and think about the people of Towcester rather than the developers pockets.

“Keep the business space for the businesses and remove risk to children outside the school by providing enough parking.”

The developer noted that the homes in the main centre parcel would not be in addition to those already approved and would form part of the 2,750 homes already granted in the outline permission.

Midpoint No.1 Limited wrote in its planning documents that the main centre is “an integral part of the wider development and will enhance its overall sustainability”. It explained that the firm focuses on providing “attractive community hubs, whilst building environments that generate commercial success for occupiers and add value to local communities”.

It added that the ‘modest scale’ of the centre is not intended to draw trade from other areas, but provide a range of shops in walking distance to homes.

Members of the public can submit comments on the proposals to WNC until June 10. A decision on the application is set to be made by the authority in July.