Agenda item

A 30 minute presentation and debate about the regeneration of Northampton from6.30pm to 7.00pm  open to the public and facilitated by the Leader of the Council.

Cllr Mackintosh, Leader of Northampton Borough Council, presented the Northampton Alive video about key regeneration projects taking place and updated about the enterprise zone recently created in Northampton to help businesses and growth in the town.

More information about this can be found at www.northampton.gov.uk/northamptonalive

Forum members then asked questions and the Leader answered them.

Q: With regard to the high-speed railway line to be created. How will the new fast-track train service affect us?

A: It won’t go through Northampton, just the county. The reason to invest in Northampton station is the high-speed line should free up some capacity on our existing line by taking some passengers. So we can improve what we’ve got. The possibility of reopening the closed local line would be difficult – especially towards Bedford end of the line. If the university announce tomorrow they’re going to the enterprise zone we’ll need to look at transport and infrastructure arrangements around and across the town – they’ve a vested interest in improving the quality of welcome people get when they come here.

Q: Who will own the Grosvenor Centre?

A: Legal and General own current site and NBC will long-term lease the new land to be occupied to Legal and General. There will be better lease arrangements. The Leader’s discussions with business have been, and are often still, about the lack of large rental spaces and lack of footfall in the town centre. Improving quality of retail space and including larger sizes for shops should enable some existing retailers to relocate – and then to attract others to backfill the gaps they leave. We should be looking to create a nice boutique offer – improvements to parking and bus passengers in town centre should help. We need to keep working with our partners to help this to happen.

Q: When will Greyfriars be demolished?

A: Bus interchange design proposals go to Planning Committee next month. If approved the Secretary of State will give an order to go ahead with the demolition of Greyfriars. Work should start quickly on the bus interchange.

Q: With student accommodation being built on St John’s open air car park, will there be enough car parking in town?

A: The Greyfriars building has an out of use car park due to acid dripping on to cars. The Grosvenor centre rebuild will have new improved car parking. St Johns is only 150 spaces in the open air car park. Looking across whole town we have spare capacity currently to absorb that demand. As we go forward, a number of the Northampton Alive projects have parking e.g. railway station, and this will need to be kept under review in relation to changing demand.

Q: The old city wall? It’s a fantastic feature – will you make something of it?

A: We want to preserve the Castle. We think when we excavate Fish market we will find synagogue and want to preserve it. It’s very important new station will be called Castle station. We want people to appreciate that the trial of Thomas a Becket took place in Northampton when they come here. We’re working with the local Jewish community to ensure we excavate, understand and preserve the synagogue we believe to be under the Fishmarket. We’re talking to Friends of Northampton Castle and they’ve got some exciting plans we’re looking to support.

Q: Will the market square have a market?

A: Part of the issue is footfall. Relocating the bus interchange should bring more footfall to the Drapery and the market square. The council is interested too in working with market traders to improve the offer to customers in the Market Square.

Q: In Milton Keynes a poster went to all the schools with a vision for the future and the youth felt very positive about it as it encouraged them to have a sense of belonging to, and pride in, the place where they were growing up. The Northampton Alive posters are very grown up. What’s been done to engage young people in Northampton Alive and interest in the future of the town?

A: Northampton Youth Forum met and discussed Northampton Alive. They were very positive about things and had a great vision for the future of the town in which they wanted heritage reflected as well as the modern opportunities these projects offer.