Plans approved for regeneration of Abbey stables

The project will cost about £5m and Delapré Abbey expects to secure the funding by the end of the year

A planning application to restore and repurpose a 19th Century stable and its surrounding buildings has been approved by a council.

The proposal for the site at Delapré Abbey in Northampton - which was granted by West Northamptonshire Council - would turn the stable yard into a venue for wellbeing, retail and community use.

The work will cost £4.8m and will be funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, and the Architectural Heritage Fund.

Richard Clinton, the chief executive of the Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust, said he was "thrilled" the plans have moved forward.

The stables are expected to create 42 full-time jobs on site at the Abbey

Lucy Ashcroft, the senior architect for the project, said the plans would "breathe new life" into the site with its "sustainable" approach.

The planned community hub will house wellbeing organisations and retail businesses to "promote mental and physical health" for visitors and create 42 additional full-time jobs.

Last year, projects in Northamptonshire, including the Abbey, missed out on a share of £4.8bn from the government's Levelling Up Fund.

Yet the trust said it was now "well advanced" in getting funding, with some parts of the project "already fully funded".

The trust said it expected that all funding would be secured by the end of the year.