Corby is a town being transformed.
Corby is a town being transformed. Still barely halfway through the 30-year growth plan set out in 2003, Corby is a town that’s going places, as recent initiatives and projects demonstrate.
Investment in regeneration and development resulted in Corby being named the fastest growing town in the country by The Sunday Times in 2014, a status not gone unnoticed by business and the wider community.
Over the last 20 years, Corby has seen the highest proportion of new home sales over anywhere else in the UK and the rapid population growth is set to continue along with growth in employment.
The Priors Hall Park development situated to the east of the town is in full flow with four construction firms already on site, more joining soon and all working to build 5,100 homes within 10-15 years. Such a scale of development is not only providing a boost to the construction sector but also leading to additional jobs in the service sector including retail.
Corby’s revitalised town centre has bucked the trend throughout the recession and investment there continues with more retail development planned and the new 6 screen Savoy cinema due for completion this spring.
This significant housing and commercial growth as well as new and improved infrastructure and public facilities indicates that Corby has done more than just weather the recession, as it continues building as a town that’s challenging out-dated perceptions while creating future focused new ones.
The Priors Hall Park development is also home to the £8.3m Corby Enterprise Centre, another success story of investment in Corby. This flagship development is close to achieving full occupation and provides flexible and innovative office space for new and early-stage businesses. As a result of its success additional office space of this quality is being sought to meet future demand.
Housing growth inevitably means a demand for employment and Corby is committed to investing in the quality of its future workforce. To cope with the anticipated demand, Tresham College is extending the range of courses provided at the Corby campus as well as introducing degree-level courses, geared to the specific needs of local people and employers. The Corby Technical School also offers “Outstanding” teaching for students with a strong aptitude for technical subjects, such as engineering, electronics and computer programming. The fact that the school is over-subscribed is testament to the level of education on offer.
The success of the growth plan so far has also resulted in Corby retaining the larger multi-nationals based here in the town with companies including Benteler, RS Components and Staples also announcing expansions recently. The future is certainly looking bright, with Corby continuing to receive a steady stream of inward investment enquiries.
Corby represents an attractive proposition for business seeking to expand or relocate with commercial floorspace available, quality development sites and major opportunities for logistics firms at a number of well accessed sites across the town.
Businesses in Corby can benefit from a number of support programmes, such as Growing Corby, who offer grants of £2,500, free market research, social enterprise support and a paid internship service as well as Enterprise 4 Corby, who offer business support for pre-starts, start-ups and existing businesses.
Indeed, Corby’s infrastructure has changed beyond recognition in recent years. Over £40m of new road investment includes dual-carriageway links to Rockingham in the north and the new A43 southern link road, which opened in May 2014. Both road projects have delivered significant benefits for the logistics firms based in the town while reducing the impact of traffic for residents living in Geddington. Also in 2014, the railway station celebrated its fifth anniversary since the re-opening with passenger numbers increasing by 10% over the previous year, testament to the popularity of the fast direct line to London St Pancras.
Leader of Corby Borough Council, Cllr Tom Beattie, said: ‘Corby is a vibrant and rapidly changing place. With a lot of forward thinking and great ambition, Corby has come out of the shadows and is now firmly centre stage – not just as a leading community in Northamptonshire, but also in the Midlands.
‘We are dedicated to the continued growth and regeneration of the Borough and remain, along with partners, excited about Corby’s future as a leading place to live, work and play.’