New details suggesting what a major development in Northampton town centre could look like have been revealed.
In February 2010, the leaders of Northamptonshire County Council announced they were considering plans to build a large new council headquarters in Angel Street, close to the Royal & Derngate Theatre.
After years of talks, the council approved early proposals for the £43 million scheme, codenamed Project Angel, at the end of last year.
Documents outlining what Project Angel could look like have now been submitted to Northampton Borough Council’s planning department.
They show the office complex, which would be built on the site of a car park used by council staff, would include 193,000 sq ft of office space and a number of shops.
The council documents claim the current staff car park in Angel Street “destroys” the historic quality of the Guildhall Road area.
They also say the Project Angel scheme would be designed to complement the many historic buildings in the area.
They said: “The development of the Project Angel site offers the opportunity to physically enhance the historic environment of the area and improve the setting of a range of heritage assets.”
The development of Project Angel would also include the creation of a new public square and parking for up to 150 cars. It has not yet been revealed how tall the office block would be, but officials said the building should not be allowed to overwhelm the tower of the nearby All Saints Church.
The council hopes 2,000 members of staff will eventually be based in the building. They will move from 12 existing council buildings in the county, a move which the authority has said should save taxpayers millions.
A public display of possible plans for the Project Angel building is due to be put on show later this year.
It is hoped the Project Angel development could be completed by 2016.
While staff from 12 county council-owned buildings would move into the new Project Angel building, Northamptonshire County Council has confirmed “civic functions” would remain in the historic County Hall building.
The decision means council meetings would still be held in the building’s large debating chamber.
The authority has said the future of both the old jail and former police headquarters in the County Hall complex have not yet been decided, but it was likely that council staff who currently work in the buildings would move into Project Angel.
Archaeological digs in Angel Street have found that modern cellars have destroyed much of what was below the ground, although some medieval walls have been found.