Council buying 'iconic' bus depot in Northampton

West Northants Council said it was "committed to retaining the historical and iconic frontage" of the bus depot site.

An "iconic" bus depot could be turned into houses as part of a regeneration scheme.

The site in St James, Northampton, has been a familiar part of the streetscape for well over a century.

West Northamptonshire Council said it was "taking steps" to purchase the site from the shoe company Church's.

The council described the depot as "one of the last remaining brownfield sites in Northampton".

The site on St James Road began life as a tram depot, before becoming a bus garage in the 1930s.

The thirties also saw the construction of an art deco office building which still bears the legend "Northampton Corporation Transport Offices".

The last bus rolled out of its garage in 2013 and the site has been disused ever since, although it was sold to the shoe company Church's some years ago.

It was on the market for around £3 million earlier this year.

Aerial view of the four-acre St James bus depot

West Northamptonshire Council said the depot had been identified as an "area which could significantly benefit from redevelopment".

It added that it had been working closely with Church's to agree on the purchase of the building and was carrying out a feasibility study to make sure that "any future development meets the needs of our residents and while maintaining the historic character of this landmark".

Dan Lister, WNC's cabinet member for town centre regeneration at WNC, said: "We are committed to retaining the historical and iconic frontage of this site and will be working with key partners to ensure that the area is empathetically regenerated.

"We will seek to provide much-needed high-quality homes to accommodate the needs of our growing communities."

Mr Lister added that local residents will have their say on the plans in the coming months.