Completed regeneration projects

The Council worked with Willmott Dixon, Marchini Curran Associates and The Arc Cinema to create a new 4-screen cinema complex, restaurants and a public square with decorative fountains in North Street in Daventry town centre.

The £12.5million Mulberry Place development was built on the former site of Daventry Library, which was moved to modern new premises within the nearby Abbey building in St John’s Square.

Run by The Arc Cinema, the facility opened in March 2022 offering luxury electric recliner seating, cutting-edge screening technology and all the latest blockbusters.

The award-winning Northampton Bike Park is a £750,000 development which was completed in Autumn 2022. The bike park was a former golf course and has been transformed into a 40-acre Mountain Bike Park with something for everyone from balance bikes to big hit senders!

The new facility offers:

• a multi-user green trail - an easy, dual-direction cycle route across the site connecting Houghton Hill to the underpass for the A45
• blue (moderate), red (difficult) and black (severe) off-road mountain bike trails for different abilities with dual tracks which will allow head-to-head riding
• 5 gathering spots where riders can meet to discuss the next section of track, and coaching can be provided
• uphill climb sections to test endurance
• a mountain bike skills area

The Northampton Museum and Art Gallery reopened in July 2021 after a major £6.7million expansion. Caring for the largest collection of objects charting the history of shoes in the world, the collection is designated as being of national and international significance, and consists of more than 15,000 shoes and 50,000 archival records including documentary footage and fine art.

The new museum has a wide range of permanent and temporary exhibitions, events and activities planned – there will always be something new to see or do. Featuring new shoe and temporary exhibition galleries, café, shop, selling gallery, event spaces, renovated art gallery and history gallery, the new museum development is a significant additional to Northampton’s cultural life.

At the heart of the museum redevelopment is a striking new building connecting the existing museum to the Old Gaol Block, doubling the size of the museum.

The popular basketball courts received a £278,000 complete makeover which was completed in Autumn 2022 with funding from the Council and Sport England.

These improvements saw a new surface and line markings, replacement basketball and netball hoops and new floodlights which will allow players to play up until 9pm.

One Angel Square was completed in 2017 and is a 22,000sqm regeneration project that provides a new public sector headquarters in Northampton town centre. 

It provides modern vibrant office environment and able to house up to 2,000 professional workers, providing significant footfall and additional spend to the town centre economy. 

The entrance faces a newly created public square, and leads into a four storey atrium reception and street. The building is designed as two forms which enclose a central courtyard, with office space, informal meeting areas and touchdown areas grouped around it.

The £8.5m University of Northampton Innovation Centre has officially opened in the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone.

With a full range of integrated business support services provided by the Northamptonshire Growth Hub and the University, 42 flexible office units, a café and conference space, the centre offers the opportunity for enterprises to grow in a supportive environment alongside like-minded businesses.

The Innovation Centre is the natural home of businesses that benefit both people and the environment through being innovative and effective. Practising what it preaches, the centre itself is run to deliver social impact and social innovation, with measurable social value.

Approximately 126 hectares, Upton Country Park consists mainly of open fields which are used as grazing land for sheep as well as recreational purposes. The park was completed in Spring 2020 with a total of £2.8m S106 funding.

Footpaths traverse the park and the River Nene flows through the centre of the site, with flood defence bunds present along the northern and southern banks.

Other features include two large lakes and a smaller pond.

Improvements include:

• new footpaths, leisure routes and cycleways
• fencing and field gates
• creation of new gateways
• viewing platform and interpretive signage
• bridges and steel boardwalk
• wetland areas and wildflower and grass seeding

Vulcan Works Creative Hub is a £14million regeneration project in the heart of Northampton’s Cultural Quarter funded through a contribution of £6.3million from the Local Growth Fund (LGF) together with £3.06million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) with West Northamptonshire Council covering the remainder of the costs. The hub was completed in Summer 2021.

It aims to facilitate knowledge exchange, encourage networking and spark collaboration within the creative industry. This state-of-the-art stylish collaborative workspace offers a vibrant atmosphere with an enthusiastic co-working environment for individuals and companies working in the creative industries including advertising, architecture, art, crafts, design, fashion, film, music, performing arts, publishing and software.

The hub offers managed workspace with a choice of 68 units for small and medium sized businesses from 10 to 100 square metres as well as other ancillary spaces and facilities such as a kitchenette and shower provisions.

It is in the heart of Northampton’s Cultural Quarter and Enterprise Zone and neighbours the Northampton Museum and Art Gallery, Royal and Derngate Theatre, NN Contemporary Art, One Angel Square and the Guildhall. It is also within walking distance of the University of Northampton Waterside Campus.

This £900,000 project which completed in Summer 2023 involved the extension of the unique museum linked to the Rennie Mackintosh House.

The plans included:

• increasing the commercial floor space
• storage and archive
• improving the museum shop
• creating an extended ‘Learning Garden’
• the creation of a new tearoom

Improvements were also be made to the reception area, and the new flexible spaces will allow the museum to begin hosting wedding receptions and corporate events. This project enhances the visitor experience at one of Northampton’s most popular visitor attractions and will allow the 78 Derngate Trust to build its income to become more sustainable for the future.

The project saw the demolition of the former co-op store on Towcester’s high street to increase parking capacity by creating a much improved and larger permanent car park. The project allowed for increased activity within the town centre by greater available parking, a safer environment and ease of access.

Watermeadows has a long and rich history associated with the development of Towcester. It was originally part of the Easton Neston estate, registered as Grade II in English Heritage’s Parks and Gardens. This exciting project enhances the much-loved beauty spot to make it more accessible for the community to enjoy its natural beauty and wildlife in the area. 

The work focused on improving:

• the visitor experience
• accessibility and recreation space with wider pathways
• seating
• an innovative new play and picnic area and a viewing deck to enjoy the picturesque parkland