Car parks temporarily closed as regeneration work continues

16 July 2024

Motorists are being advised of closures to two car parks in Northampton this month, as work on two exciting town centre regeneration projects take a step forward.

The town’s Chalk Lane Car Park will be closed from the evening of Tuesday 16 July through to Thursday 25 July to allow for preparatory work on the new Marefair Heritage Park.

The nearby Doddridge Street Car Park is closed for four weeks from 15 July while the Museum of London Archaeology carry out investigation as part of the delivery of the Four Waterside and Marefair development.

Signage will be in place to notify motorists of the temporary closures, with people directed to use the nearby Marefair or Commercial Street Car Parks instead. Click here to view the council-owned car parks across Northampton.

West Northamptonshire Council secured £1.6 million from the Government’s Towns Fund towards delivering the Heritage Park, which will provide new green space, trees, play areas, community gardens, pathways and lighting.

Marefair and the surrounding area has a fascinating and important history as the site of the once famous Northampton Castle as well as other historic local buildings such as the Old Black Lion Pub, Hazelrigg House, Castle Hill United Reformed Church, St Peters Church and a former Saxon Palace.

The park will tell this fascinating story on a heritage timeline of Corteen Steel poles which will be installed throughout the park.

The project to improve a major gateway to Northampton will be complemented by the Four Waterside and Marefair development, which will see the vacant brownfield site along the River Nene transformed into high-quality office space, new homes, business space and a new hotel.

This ambitious project is being delivered thanks to £1.7 million of funding from the Towns Fund, £7 million of investment from Northampton Enterprise Zone and investment from developers CityHeart. Wider construction works are expected to start in 2025.