Disused corn exchange to become 'cultural anchor'

An engraving of the Corn Exchange shows how it might have looked in its early years

A former corn exchange in a "forgotten piece of town" is to be transformed into a "creativity hub and leisure destination".

West Northamptonshire Council's Cabinet has decided to buy the building in Northampton Market Square.

It was built in 1851 and was a cinema for several years before becoming a nightclub.

The authority said the purchase was "a pivotal step" in its regeneration plans for Northampton town centre.

The building became the Chicago Rock and later the Balestra nightclubs before closing in 2013

Trading in cereals had taken place in the open air for many years in Northampton, but all that changed when the Corn Exchange was opened in 1851.

It cost more than £10,000 at the time, and, alongside its trading role, it also staged concerts, balls and public meetings.

It transformed into a cinema in 1920, initially as The Exchange and later renamed as The Gaumont and, finally, The Odeon.

The projectors rolled for the last time in 1974, and the building became a bingo hall.

Its final role was as a nightclub before it was mothballed for more than a decade.

The council's own photograph shows the Corn Exchange site outlined in red

The Corn Exchange is part of the Greyfriars area, a key part of West Northamptonshire Council's regeneration plans for the town centre.

The authority said: "The 14-acre area is set to amplify a forgotten piece of the town into a new neighbourhood, which will encompass multi-generational living, dedicated green space, and entertaining space, while improving connectivity to the town centre with improved transport routes."

It added that Greyfriars was currently cut off from the town centre and was effectively an island.

The Corn Exchange will be a link between the "new neighbourhood" of Greyfriars and the town centre.

The authority wants the Corn Exchange to be "a cultural anchor for the Greyfriars project, creating a new performance and creativity hub and leisure destination, attracting significant footfall and investment into the town".

The Corn Exchange hall was a grand space with a barrel-vaulted wooden ceiling, but is now empty and vandalised

Dan Lister, the council's cabinet member for local economy and culture, said: "This long-neglected property, vacant for over a decade, occupies a key spot overlooking the soon-to-be revitalised Market Square and backing directly onto the Greyfriars site.

"We’re excited to move forward with this purchase, bringing it into our bold vision for Greyfriars and breathing new life into the building as a dynamic community venue that will once again serve and inspire the local community.”

The purchase will have to be confirmed by full council later this month.