Work on delayed £12m leisure hub set for early 2026

A computer-generated picture of Stack, expected to open next year

Major works on a delayed £12m entertainment hub in a town centre will begin in "the early part of next year", a council leader said.

The Stack Leisure venue will be built in the old Peacock Place building in Northampton, overlooking the Market Square.

Stack previously said it would commence work last October but so far only preliminary work - including the clearance of stores at the former shopping centre - has taken place.

Mark Arnull, the leader of Reform UK-controlled West Northamptonshire Council, said the centre, due to open in 2026, would be "a valued addition" to the town.

Arnull said the authority's deputy leader had recently travelled to Lincoln to see a Stack facility similar to the one being developed in Northampton and "was absolutely happy with that".

Asked about the project's progress when Stack Northampton, Arnull said: "We should see some development on that from January onwards."

Stack, which previously said the Northampton site was a "hugely complex" project, has been approached for comment.

• Everything you need to know about a £12m leisure hub

Stack Leisure opened a venue in Lincoln opened last year

Stack Leisure will invest £8m in the project, with a further £4.2m of funding coming from the council.

The Newcastle-based company submitted plans for a retail, food and performance centre in 2023 and the council approved the project at a meeting in March last year.

According to plans, the lower ground floor will largely be given to leisure ventures, such as children's entertainment, fitness events and live music.

Bar areas, food hall operators and retail units will also have a place in the building.

The proposed opening hours for the centre are 08:00 to 02:30 every day and the venue will create about 250 jobs, according to the applicant.

Stack Leisure has already opened similar projects elsewhere in England, including in Lincoln and Seaburn, Sunderland.