Northampton is a great place to live, work and thrive with a diverse mix of urban, heritage and leisure spaces, as well as many strong established businesses. It is a place that has many strengths and attractions for investors, new businesses and visitors.
The town is ideally located at the heart of the country with excellent transport links. There is significant regeneration planned and already underway across the town.
To find out more about the current and planned regeneration projects, check out our brochure or read more below.
Current Regeneration Projects
Significant funding has been secured for the town, with Northampton Forward delivering the Town Investment Plan to transform Northampton town centre. This includes over £33m of funding from Government with the aim to accelerate the opportunities to deliver our vision to ensure Northampton meets its full potential as a thriving, innovative and attractive destination at the centre of the Oxford Cambridge Arc.
Market Square
This rejuvenated area will offer new permanent market stalls for traders, high-quality seating and planting, a flexible event space, and a new water feature to activate the area.
The square will become a ‘space for everybody’ accessible and exciting for a large diversity of the community, including families, tourists, young professionals and the elderly. The regeneration of Market Square will also be a trigger for the regeneration of surrounding buildings and their associated ground floor uses, this activation will encourage spill out into the square.
Transformation works started in February 2023, with estimated completion summer 2024.
Programme
- Public consultation – January 2022
- Works start on site – February 2023
- Works finish – Summer 2024
- Project opening – Summer 2024
News updates
- Work on Market Square to begin in the New Year – July 2022
- Market Square vision set to become a reality – January 2023
- Launch of work on historic Market Square – February 2023
- Preparation works underway – March 2023
- Market Square work presses ahead – May 2023
- Regeneration works continue – June 2023
Funding sources
- £8,460,000 Future High Street Fund
- £2,000,000 S106 / CIL
Market Walk
Market Walk is set to undergo a vast transformation as renowned food hall and leisure developer, STACK, in collaboration with West Northamptonshire Council, will revitalise the prominent space, breathing new life into the heart of the town with the introduction of a new leisure and entertainment destination.
With an investment of £4.175 million from the Towns Fund and an additional £8 million from STACK, this project will create a vibrant social hub for the community. The redevelopment will include a diverse selection of independent street food traders, bars, interactive games, communal seating, and a main stage for live music performances, catering to all ages and interests.
Programme
- Works start on site – Summer 2024
- Works finish – Summer 2025
- Project opening – Summer 2025
News updates
Funding sources
- £4,175,000 Towns Fund
Four Waterside and Marefair Development
Situated at the entrance of the town from Northampton’s railway station, this is one of the largest brownfield development opportunities across the county. This new development will unlock this space, providing grade A office space, a new hotel and high quality homes along the river.
Programme
- Works start on site – Spring 2025
- Works finish – Summer 2032
- Project opening – Summer 2032
Funding sources
- £1,750,000 Towns Fund
- £7,000,000 Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone
Marefair Heritage Park
£2m of Towns Fund investment is earmarked towards a total of £34.5m to create a new park and leisure spaces to “improve connections between the town centre and train station – driving footfall to the town”. Work is set to be complete by April 2025.
Programme
- Public consultation – March 2023
- Works start on site – Spring 2024
- Works finish – Spring 2025
- Project opening – Spring 2025
News updates
Funding sources
- £1,750,000 Towns Fund
- £427,000 S106
Abington and Fish Street Public Realm
This busy shopping street will be revitalised, transforming the space to respond to people’s changing shopping patterns. This project will lift the quality of the public spaces through high quality materials, increasing seating and planting, introducing new art and play opportunities along the street, as well as spaces for outdoor dining and community activity. West Northamptonshire Council is working with Kier Transportation to carry out the regeneration works.
Programme
- Public consultation – March/April 2023
- Preparation works carried out – Autumn 2023
- Main construction works start at Fish Street – February 2024
- Works finish – Winter 2024
- Project opening – Winter 2024
News updates
- Provide your views on plans for the regeneration of public realm- March 2023
- Preparation works to begin transformation of Northampton shopping district – October 2023
Funding sources
- £5,180,000 Towns Fund
35 - 45 Abington Street
Located at the heart of the town the rejuvenation of 35 – 45 Abington Street buildings (formerly M&S and BHS) will provide new homes for residents above modern leisure or retail space on the ground floor.
Bringing this former vacant space to life, this is set to create new homes and employment opportunities.
Programme
- Works start on site – Spring 2026
- Works finish – Summer 2032
- Project opening – Summer 2032
News updates
Funding sources
- £9,700,000 Towns Fund
Old Black Lion Pub
The oldest pub in Northampton, this previously derelict Grade II listed building will be revived whilst also offering a new home to the Churches Conservation Trust. This project forms part of the transformation of the gateway into the town centre from the railway station. It will unlock the potential of the adjacent Grade I listed St Peter’s Church allowing this area of become the beating heart of the Marefair community.
Programme
- Public exhibitions – June 2021, September 2022
- Works start on site – March 2023
- Works finish – Summer 2024
- Project opening – Summer 2024
News updates
- Work progresses to transform historic pub- June 2023
- Work starts to regenerate the Old Black Lion-April 2023
Funding
- £315,000 Towns Fund
- £350,000 S106 / CIL
- £2,600,000 National Lottery Heritage Fund
- £100,000 Architectural Heritage Fund
24 Guildhall Road
This previously derelict heritage asset will be transformed into an innovative and creative cultural space for the arts community.
This project is a partnership between West Northamptonshire Council and NN Contemporary Art and will enhance the current space with new artist studios, a contemporary art gallery space and facilities for visitors.
Programme
- Works start on site – Spring 2023
- Works finish – Summer 2024
- Project opening – Summer 2024
News updates
- Road closed for enabling works- May 2023
- Major new cultural centre to open in Northampton- November 2022
Funding sources
- £1,750,000 Towns Fund
- £1,500,000 West Northamptonshire Council
Expansion to Northampton Train Station Multi-Storey Car Park
The new multi-storey car park will provide improved facilities at Northampton Train Station, by increasing the number of spaces from 800 to 1,198. West Northamptonshire Council (WNC), Network Rail and its development partner, BlocWork are working in partnership to deliver the scheme which will offer increased capacity within the well-used train station for visitors, residents and commuters; as well as improved facility to improve customer experience. The development will enhance the gateway into the town, and will be complemented by the regeneration of Four Waterside and Marefair.
Completed Regeneration Projects
78 Derngate
Work to create an extension and new garden to enhance this major cultural attraction and the site of the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Museum was completed in July 2023, transforming the site.
£400k of Towns Fund was added to another £400k of other investment to extend the museum and recreate the disused site at the rear into a publicly-accessible outdoor space and functional garden. The house is managed by 78 Derngate Trust.
