Millions of pounds of investment will flow into Northampton over the next 12 months, with West Northamptonshire Development Corporation supporting enterprise zone developments.
Today, the specialist Government body has published its last ever Business Plan, which covers funding for Northampton’s ‘Big Six’ regeneration schemes, ranging from a new railway station to waterside offices.
The projects will be supported by WNDC’s £14.5m investment programme – the largest annual budget it has had for five years.
Peter Mawson, WNDC’s chief executive said: “We have entered a defining period in the transformation of Northampton. During this year, we will see new local landmarks start to rise and barriers to progress begin to fall. This includes the construction of a £20m Railway Station, a modern Bus Interchange, and a state-of-the-art Innovation Centre.
“In the current climate, there are few parts of the country that can boast such extensive town centre development. It is the culmination of almost a decade of intense preparation and large-scale investment.”
Established in 2004, WNDC will close down on 31 March 2014 and will be succeeded by local authority delivery arrangements.
The Big Six projects are the rebuilt train station, new offices at St Peter’s Waterside, the university complexes at Nunn Mills and St John’s, offices that are part of Project Angel and the Grosvenor Centre extension.
Mr Mawson said: “By March 2014, we will have invested over £100m in the development of West Northamptonshire. Initial projects like the iCon Innovation Centre and Becket’s Park Marina have started to make a visible impact. However, the full effect of this investment will be felt in the coming months and years, with huge improvements across Northampton, Daventry and Towcester.”