Northampton development projects racked by delays

The old Greyfriars bus station was demolished in about six seconds

The market town of Northampton is world famous for its shoe-making industry. But, as it undergoes major changes projects are being marred by delays and spiralling costs. The BBC looks at ten developments.

When the brutalist Greyfriars bus station went up in a pile of dust in March 2015, it was supposed to signal a new beginning for Northampton town centre, with new developments following soon after.

More than a year on, the site is still empty and Northampton Borough Council says talks with developers are still under way.

Northampton's new railway station opened its doors in January 2015, following a delay of more than three months, but a 1,550 space multi-storey car park due to open at the end of last year remains unfinished.

Northamptonshire County Council's new £53m headquarters - known as Project Angel - is on schedule to be finished on time later this year.

The £6.3m restoration of Delapre Abbey is due to be completed by the summer, but will cost more than first expected. It will see an 18th Century stable block turned into a visitor and education centre.

The £330m University of Northampton Waterside Campus will cater for 15,000 students and is due to open on time in September 2018.

The Sixfields stadium project was due to include a conference centre, 100 room hotel, a gym and ten corporate boxes, increasing the ground capacity from 7,653 to 10,000.

A new plan for 8,500 seats and more corporate boxes was submitted in June 2014, but the work has not begun. New Northampton Town chairman Kelvin Thomas has promised to re-boot the project and seats have been installed in the East Stand.

A major redevelopment of the former Vulcan Iron Works site in Guildhall Road is taking place as part of Northampton's emerging Cultural Quarter and is due to open next year.

The borough council said it would still like to redevelop the Grosvenor Centre, but no news has been announced.

The expansion of Northampton Museum and Art Gallery is being funded by the sale of the ancient Egyptian statue, Sekhemka and is on schedule.

An office development described by former borough council leader and now town MP, David Mackintosh, as "the future commercial heart of the town" is due to be completed a year late.

Chris Drummond, a director at TDB Real Estate in Northampton, said there was a danger developments in the town "were focusing too much on the office sector".

Leader of the borough council, Mary Markham, defended the delay in some developments, saying they do "take time".

She added: "I'm extremely proud of what we have achieved."