Councillor says train station development will hamper regeneration
A decision about a new multi-storey car park, six-storey high apartment block and hotel in central Northampton will be made next week.
By Sarah Ward
Plans to develop the area around Northampton’s train station with a new multi-storey car park, tall apartment block and hotel will ‘hamper’ the town’s regeneration, according to a leading councillor.
Sally Keeble MP, who is leader of the Labour group on West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and former chair of the Northampton Rail Users Group, says plans for the redevelopment of the central location close to the former site of Northampton’s castle, must be reconsidered as there are better options available.
The plan, which has been put forward by Network Rail and Blockwork LLP and is being supported financially by WNC, would see the existing car park at the station replaced with a ‘contemporary and functional’ six-storey multi storey car park. Also on the site off Black Lion Hill would be built a six storey apartment block for up to 280 homes and a hotel with 100 rooms. Neither the apartment block or hotel would have associated parking.
Sally Keeble says the scheme is overlooking the transport demands for the town and will put an end to hopes for a bus interchange at the station. The station opened in 2015 and the town’s existing North Gate bus interchange at Bradshaw Street is a 12 minute walk away via Mare Fare and St Katherine’s Street.
Cllr Keeble said:
“The station is vital for the growth of Northampton. There’s a pressing need for a proper interchange with bus and coach services, and better access for car users.
“Previous plans for the station included proposals for a bus-rail interchange next to the station with lifts up to a multi-storey car park that would have a covered walkway to the ticketing hall.
“More housing is always important. However Castle station is just that – a station – and the transport needs of passengers and rail services should take priority. The housing could be provided further along the site, which would also be a more suitable location.”
She says the plans will box in the rail station and bring no improvements at the station road exit into St Andrews Rd, with likely increases in congestion at rush hours. (Cllr Keeble is a member of the planning committee but will not be involved in the decision making process and instead will make representations as a ward councillor).
However the authority’s planning officers are recommending the planning committee allows the plans to go ahead.
Objections have been raised by the Town Centre Conservation Area Committee, and while the site is next to and not within the conservation area, the group insists the area is historically important and has concerns about the height, scale, layout and quality of the proposed development, as well as landscaping, open space, accessibility and traffic.
The conclusion of planning officers is:
“The development is intended to breathe new life and activity into a currently underutilised and uninspiring key location in the centre of Northampton adjacent to the train station. Whilst only full details of the multi storey car park (MSCP) are provided at this stage, the accompanying plans have illustrated how a high-quality, mixed use scheme could be delivered that would provide a positive regeneration of this important gateway to the town.”
The authority’s then Tory cabinet decided in 2023 to support the building of the multi-storey car park by borrowing the finance, which it would lend to Blockgroup LLP. It will then receive the income from the car park, with profits (two years ago) predicted at £16m over a 40 year period.
The planning meeting is being held on Tuesday, October 21 at 2pm.
This is a wonderful opportunity to repair the damage caused to the Northampton transport system when a subminimal bus station was built to replace Grey friars. A transport hub covering bus, coach and rail at the existing railway station would create the integrated system which would benefit all transport modes. Some space should be kept for railway development such as the reopening of the lines to Market Harborough, Peterborough and Bedford.