Northampton town centre: New plan for Four Waterside site

Architects have drawn up plans for apartments and offices on the Four Waterside site

A new plan has been proposed for a major development in Northampton that has stalled for more than four years.

Despite houses and a gas tower being demolished nothing has been built at Four Waterside in the town centre.

Northampton Borough Council's cabinet backed the new plan featuring a four-storey hotel, offices and apartments, although it is still to work out how to fund the scheme.

The authority's leader Jonathan Nunn said it was "very exciting".

He said the council had seen "some really ambitious and inspiring images from the architects".

The Four Waterside development was meant to open in 2017 but no building work has begun

Plans for the 60,000 sq ft (5,575 sq m) site, near the River Nene and St Peter's Way and behind the University of Northampton Innovation Centre, were first submitted in January 2016.

Four Waterside was due open in 2017, but discussions between the council and the contractors Kier stalled and the council terminated the agreement in April 2019, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A report to the council about the latest plans said that office operators were "willing to invest" and a number of hotel operators "have shown interest" in the site.

The Greyfriars site has remained empty since the bus station was demolished in 2015

The council will now carry out an appraisal to "understand the level of public sector intervention required" in the plan's finances.

Four Waterside is one of two large undeveloped sites in Northampton town centre - the other being Greyfriars where the town's demolished bus station stood.

The £6.7m refurbishment of Northampton Museum and Art Gallery should be completed this year and the building of a £10.8m "cultural hub" at the Vulcan Works is under way, despite delays to both.