More car park repairs due next year after crash

Two University of Northampton students were hit when Joshua Coulton lost control of the stolen Seat Leon

Final repairs on a town centre car park that was badly damaged in a crash are expected to take place next year, a council said.

West Northamptonshire Council is yet to complete repairs at St John's Car Park in Northampton a year after the driver of a stolen Seat Leon crashed into a side wall during a police chase.

The car park was temporarily closed following the collision on 18 October 2024 and reopened to the public 10 days later after immediate safety repairs.

The man in his early 20s was jailed for three years and two months for six offences including two counts of causing serious injury by dangerous driving after two university students were hit by the car.

Protective covering remains in place at St John's multi-storey car park a year on from the crash

A council spokesperson told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that final repairs were scheduled for early 2026.

At the time of the incident, the council said the crash caused damage to the brickwork facade and an internal, non-load bearing wall, but the building's core structure and stairwells remained intact.

The council added that scaffolding had been put up to make necessary safety checks, with a view to looking at further options for restoring the brickwork after the car park had been reopened.

Scaffolding and a protective covering remained in place on the outside of the building a year on from the incident.

"Following the incident, the council's first priority was to minimise disruption for users, and we acted quickly to reopen the car park," a council spokesperson said.

"We're pleased that it remains open for the public to use, and as we plan the next phase of works, we're focused on keeping the site fully operational and limiting any inconvenience."

The council said it was "in the process of procuring a contractor" to carry out the works and expected it to be completed early next year.