Plans in for Northampton town centre regeneration scheme

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and regeneration specialist Cityheart have committed to a development agreement for the transformation of Northampton’s Four Waterside and Marefair sites.

Located next to the main railway station, the project will deliver a mixed-use scheme for the town centre, bringing forward a complex brownfield site that has been vacant for over a decade.

It will include Grade A office space for new and existing businesses, a new hotel, high-quality homes including a care facility, as well as improved areas of public realm including paving and seating, and open green space.

Cityheart and WNC will now prepare a planning application for the remediation works, which will prepare the sites ahead of construction.

The remediation work is expected to begin this autumn and will include ground preparation work, which will determine the design of the foundations for the site redevelopment.

Councillor Daniel Lister, WNC Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure, said: “We are delighted that our partnership with Cityheart will enable us to deliver this significant development. Their expertise will be invaluable in transforming the two vacant brownfield sites and providing high-quality facilities to meet the needs of our local community and benefit our local economy.

“This area has stood empty for too long, and once complete, this development will enhance the wider transformation of Northampton town centre, benefiting residents and businesses from across the area.”

The Four Waterside and Marefair scheme is said to be one of the largest brownfield developments in the county with two sites totalling five acres at the entrance of the town.

The project is supported by a £1.5 million grant from The Towns Fund and a further £7 million from the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone.