Plan to regenerate Wellingborough centre approved

A 10-year plan to regenerate a town centre has been approved by councillors.

North Northants Council's (NNC) Reform UK administration signed off the Wellingborough Town Centre Masterplan at an executive meeting,, describing it as a "turning point" for the area.

The document sets out the decade-long vision to bring life to the town centre, and was supported by 80% of respondents during a six-week consultation, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

NNC confirmed that the masterplan is currently unfunded, and it will need to pursue external funding opportunities and partnership to support the delivery.

Croyland and Swanspool councillor Chris Munday, of Reform UK, accepted challenges identified in the report such as empty buildings and poor public transport connections.

He said: "This is Wellingborough's opportunity to turn years of what people view as stagnation into a new chapter of investment and regeneration."

Labour councillor David Baker, who represents the Victoria ward in the town, also gave his support, but challenged the council to deliver on the proposals given the "expectation that this will result in positive change".

"You will be rightly held to account so that this isn't just another plan that sits on the shelf and gathers dust," he said.

Plans include improvements to Market Place and Swansgate, refurbishing Wellingborough Library, reducing car dominance on some streets and improving shopfronts.

Executive member for planning and economic growth, Jan O'Hara, told the chamber that the masterplan consisted of a regeneration framework for the next 10 years and beyond, but was not "a promise that every project will immediately be built".

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