New £14m hub for creative start-ups opens

The Vulcan Works is located in Northampton's Cultural Quarter

A £14m hub for start-up businesses in the "thriving" creative industries has opened.

Vulcan Works is on the site of a former Grade II listed ironworks factory in Northampton's Cultural Quarter.

The hub will provide lettable office space, workshops, meeting rooms and co-working spaces.

The centre manager Garrick Hurter said businesses would be "wowed by the incredible facilities on offer".

The hub will be managed by Oxford Innovation Space

West Northamptonshire Council funded the construction and refurbishment works, while the South East Midlands Local Enterprise Partnership facilitated a Local Growth Fund contribution of £6.3m.

There was also £3.06m contributed from the European Regional Development Fund.

The council said it estimated the Vulcan Works would support about 150 start-up businesses in its first 10 years, creating about 500 jobs in the area.

Mr Hurter said the hub was "raring to go" and the start of a "thriving creative community".

Daniel Lister, from the Conservative-led council, said he was "immensely proud that Northampton now boasts such an innovative and inspirational hub for fledgling creative start-ups".

The hub is one of several projects the council has undertaken in Northampton town centre including the refurbishment of the Market Square and construction of flats at the site of two former department stores.