Old Marks & Spencer store bought by Northampton Borough Council for £1.45m

The plans would see a mix of one- and two-bedroom apartments built, with leisure facilities on the ground floor

A council has purchased the site of a former Marks & Spencer for £1.45m as part of a town's regeneration project.

The Northampton store closed in 2018 as part of a savings plan by the retailer.

Northampton Borough Council said there had been no interest in the site from other retailers or private developers, in part due to reduced town centre footfall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The council said it intends to create new commercial and residential spaces at the Abington Street site.

It would see leisure spaces on the ground floor, with a mix of one and two bedroom apartments above it.

Northampton's Marks & Spencer store closed in August 2018

It comes after the council published plans last year, outlining how it intended to revive the town centre and tackle some of its long-standing issues.

The Conservative-controlled authority also formed a new board called Northampton Forward to "create a vision" for a number of "strategic locations" in the town, including Abington Street.

In February, it outlined plans for a revamp of the town's 785-year-old Market Square.

A consultation on the plans is open for comments from the public.

• Plan offers hotel and offices for demolished site

• Can one town's 'dying' High Street be saved?

• Old bus site 'adds' to town's 'decline'

Tim Hadland, cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said the council had identified the need for "increased town centre living which will support the many businesses that exist and help them to adapt to dramatic changes in the way people shop".

He said: "Coronavirus has accelerated this change and made it even more important that we take action, and the former Marks & Spencer site is a crucial one for us."

The council and Northampton Forward have applied for funding from central government to carry out remedial works at the site, including the removal of "large amounts" of asbestos.