Public can now comment on Northampton town centre masterplan

The five areas are Marefair and Gold Street, the Market Square, Greyfriars, Fish Street and St Giles’ Street and Abington Street (Eastgate).

Northampton Forward is undertaking the consultation, and the proposals are now available to view, along with an online survey, at www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforwardA series of public consultation events will also take place in the Grosvenor Centre, starting this Saturday 18 May, giving people the opportunity to view the proposals and discuss them with Council staff.

Further events will follow on 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 May, will all events running from 11am - 3pm and located on the upper level, next door to Bewitched Coffee and opposite Costa Coffee.

Cllr Jonathan Nunn, leader of Northampton Borough Council and Chair of the Northampton Forward Board, said: “We have ambitious aspirations for our town and want to ensure that we can translate them into something deliverable.”

“So we’ve asked 5plus architects, who have done some brilliant work revitalising Manchester and other towns across the country, to develop these proposals for us.

“We are extremely keen for people to give their views, so please do go along to the Grosvenor Centre and have a chat with us.

“If you can’t make these consultation events, all the information and an accompanying survey can be accessed from the Borough Council’s website until the end of June at www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforward

“We absolutely want to develop a plan which people can get behind and which delivers the best result for Northampton residents and visitors.”

Potential changes include delivering modern retail units, introducing more office space, and encouraging higher levels of residential.

The plans could also look at improved public spaces and shop fronts, along with the creation of attractive links between the various parts of the town centre, to make them more accessible.

Grosvenor Centre Manager, James Roberts, who is also on the Northampton Forward board, said: “There is enormous potential to be realised within Northampton, this coupled with a fantastic energy to drive change by passionate individuals, community groups and the Northampton Forward board, means there are exciting challenges to transform the town.”

Northampton Forward is a public/private partnership which was formed earlier this year to create a vision for the town and drive forward a strategic programme of improvements.

Its board is formed of a wide range of partners including:

• Northampton Borough Council

• Northamptonshire County Council

• Northants Police

• Grosvenor Centre

• Northampton Town Centre BID

• University of Northampton

• Royal and Derngate

• LiftNN (Community representative)

• South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership (SEMLEP)

• Tricker’s

• Northamptonshire Chamber

Consultation events are as follows:

Grosvenor Centre, Unit 32 - 34 Newland Walk (opposite Costa Coffee and next to Bewitched Coffee)

18 May, 11am – 3pm

20 May, 11am – 3pm

21 May, 11am – 3pm

22 May, 11am – 3pm

23 May, 11am – 3pm

24 May, 11am – 3pm

Alternatively, the proposals and the online survey can be accessed online at: northampton.gov.uk/northamptonforward

Paper copies of the survey are available from the Guildhall One-Stop-Shop on St Giles’ Square during opening hours, and any questions about the consultation can be sent to [email protected] or Regeneration (consultation), First Floor, The Guildhall, St Giles’ Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE.

The consultation closes on Sunday 30 June.