Work starts to turn building into community hub

Work has started to refurbish a building in Corby to turn it into a community centre.

The development of Grosvenor House on George Street is part of the Corby Towns Fund project, funded by central government.

North Northamptonshire Council said the £1.5m project will provide "new accommodation for a modern, cultural building with a community focus" and will "meet the identified demand for creative, media and third sector use".

Contractor Krol Corlett has been appointed to complete the building work, which is expected to take nine months.

The local authority also hopes that the new facilities at Grosvenor House will increase footfall across the town centre.

Grosvenor House is one of four projects that the council was awarded funding for from central government.

The other projects were the conversion of Chisholm House into Corby Sixth Form, improved cycle and pedestrian access between the train station and town centre, and the installation of traffic and air quality monitoring sensors around the town.

Jan O'Hara, the council's executive member for planning and economic growth, said: "The aim is to create a modern, multi-use space for community, cultural and creative organisations [and] we're investing in a vibrant future for our town centre."

The council said it is looking for charities and community organisations to lease parts of Grosvenor House once work is complete.

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