£1m of asbestos removal will kick-start redevelopment of old M&S store

Northampton Borough Council acquired the freehold of the site in September, but found that there was ‘very limited demand’ for large format retail stores. A report also outlined how the site had ‘substantial issues’ with asbestos and that this was restricting its ability to be developed.

The council’s cabinet approved the asbestos removal scheme last night (December 16) with cabinet member for economic regeneration, Councillor Tim Hadland, saying: “The time has now come to take this forward. The first step in that progress is to remove asbestos from the site and this recommendation is the procedure for appointing the specialist contractor to carry out those works.”

The building has been vacant since Marks & Spencer closed its doors there in August 2018. It was purchased by the council for £1.45 million, and indicative plans appear to show a number of smaller commercial units on the ground floor, with housing above it.

Funding the asbestos removal will be a sum of £1 million that the borough council received in September as a result of the Government bringing forward an element of its Towns Fund to be spent in the 2020/21 financial year.

The £1 million sum is the largest amount Northampton could have received, and in August the Northampton Forward board decided the best use of the funds would be to fund the asbestos removal at the former retail store.

Council leader Jonathan Nunn, who sits on the Northampton Forward board, added: “Not only do we have the money, but we need to spend it by the end of March so we need to crack on.”

It is anticipated that the removal works will take place over eight weeks from the beginning of February until the end of March.