'Turning point' masterplan for Wellingborough approved
The plan to regenerate the town's centre has been approved by the North unitary's executive
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
A new town centre masterplan for Wellingborough has been approved by North Northants Council (NNC), after councillors trumpeted it as a “turning point” for the area.
NNC’s Reform administration was asked to greenlight the plan outlining a long-term vision to bring life back to the town centre at an executive meeting on Tuesday (August 11). It followed a six-week public consultation on the masterplan document throughout May and June, which found that more than 80 per cent of respondents agreed with the authority’s overall regeneration plans.
Croyland and Swanspool councillor Chris Munday (Reform UK) spoke in favour of the document at the meeting, accepting the challenges identified in the report of empty and underused buildings, poor connections between the railway station and the town centre, and public spaces which haven’t reached their potential.
He added:
“This is Wellingborough’s opportunity to turn years of what people view as stagnation into a new chapter of investment and regeneration”.
Cllr David Baker (Labour), who represents the Victoria ward in the town, also gave his support, but challenged the council to deliver on the proposals given the “expectation that this will result in positive change”.
“You will be rightly held to account so that this isn’t just another plan that sits on the shelf and gathers dust,” he said.
NNC has confirmed that the masterplan is currently unfunded, and that it will need to pursue external funding opportunities and partnership working to support the delivery of projects.
Executive member for planning and economic growth, Cllr Jan O’Hara, told the chamber that the masterplan consisted of a regeneration framework for the next ten years and beyond, but was not “a promise that every project will immediately be built”.
NNC leader, and Croyland and Swanspool ward member, Cllr Martin Griffiths said the report sets out clear next steps, including the development of delivery plans and feasibility studies, “to turn ambition into action”.
“Town centres across the country have faced significant challenges in recent years,” he said, “Wellingborough is no exception. But, this masterplan is looking forward, not looking back.
“More than 270 [consultation] responses were received and the message was clear – residents want a town centre that is attractive, safe, accessible and full of life, and why wouldn’t they?
“Wellingborough has enormous potential; this masterplan provides the foundation to unlock that potential.”
What does the masterplan set out?
According to the masterplan, its fundamental purpose is to act as a catalyst for delivering change in Wellingborough town centre, after a review of North Northamptonshire’s four main town centres identified it as the ‘most critical’ site for intervention.
The plan includes four main objectives of creating a ‘civic heart’ in the town centre, improving accessibility through walking and rail gateway routes, repurposing assets to create a ‘21st century town centre offer’, and supporting businesses and the local economy.
It also splits the centre into five ‘strategic intervention areas’, consisting of the town centre core (with a civic and cultural focus), a commercial hub and area to support economic activity (called ‘the engine room’), opportunity sites for new town centre neighbourhood development, green and public realm connections, and eastern gateway locations.
Key objectives include refurbishing the Wellingborough library, delivering a new civic public space in an enhanced Market Place, and transforming the Swansgate Centre into a mixed-use offer with flexible hubs to work, shop and live.
Other plans identify opportunities to reduce car dominance and make certain town centre streets more pedestrian-friendly, as well as general shopfront improvements, and a street greening strategy to connect and enhance green networks with the town’s cultural hubs and gateways.
Proposals to create a new town centre residential-led neighbourhood are also included. It suggests considering the partial development of Jackson’s Lane car park, which it says is currently underused and therefore creates “an expansive unobserved hard landscape which is unpleasant to visit and often can feel unsafe”.
However, the masterplan also sets out the need to keep some car parking for general use, and to dedicate a small proportion of the development for other town centre uses. Any proposals will have to get planning approval.
Following the approval of the town centre masterplan, NNC has set out key next steps to embed the masterplan in decision-making in planning, begin stakeholder engagement with landowners, developers and businesses, and create a funding and investment strategy.
It added that priority projects include public realm improvements, connectivity enhancements, and key redevelopment opportunities of Market Place and Swansgate.
