BUSINESS people with extensive first-hand experience of working and living in Northampton have taken time out to share their vision for the future of the county town.
The lunch, at Howes Percival, supported by Business Times, brought together individuals including those who grew up in the town and others who have made it their base for home or business.
Gerald Couldrake, Partner at Howes Percival, led the discussion, which explored the challenges and opportunities facing the town and, in particular, the town centre.
NORTHAMPTON PLC needs a business plan was the demand from those who took part in the round-the-table discussion.
In the frank session there were people who had ‘given up’ on seeing change after fruitless years of campaigning while others felt optimistic about the opportunities facing the town.
But all participants were in full agreement about one key point – a call for the borough’s decision-makers to come up with a clear thinking, joined-up plan that would enable Northampton to thrive.
The guests shared their personal experiences of doing business in Northampton with criticism of the decisions which many believe have left the town centre playing catch up. Lack of land for development, disjointed growth of the town centre and issues like car parking were all highlighted.
Chris Drummond, of TDB Real Estate, who has to face the scarcity of land on a daily basis, said it was time to regain pride in the county town.
“One simple example is people coming in to Northampton from Junction 15. It is a mess and this is our welcome to Northampton. We need some pride if we are to encourage people to come to the town.
“There has been no new office development and almost no new industrial development in Northampton since 2007. This means jobs are going to other areas, especially Milton Keynes,” he added.
Towns like Corby and Wellingborough had taken advantage in the 80s and 90s of Enterprise Zones where incentives had given the areas an opportunity to breathe new life into their communities. East Northants Council had taken a proactive role in securing Rushden Lakes, the multi-million-pound retail and leisure development being built off the A45, which is due to open this summer.
The participants believe these are challenges but a fresh-thinking strategy could still breathe new life into the town. For some guests the state of the town centre was a cause for despair, although others saw positive signs.
Martin Sutherland, CEO at Royal and Derngate, who has made his home in the cultural quarter, was one who already felt optimistic about the town’s future. The theatre attracts hundreds of thousands to the centre each year and the boutique cinema, the Errol Flynn Filmhouse, is just one of the enterprise’s success stories.
“We have had to work hard to develop our business but I feel quite optimistic and we regularly hear from people who are choosing to locate back in to the town,” said Martin, who felt the authorities were keen to see change and had already introduced initiatives. These included a commitment to rate relief for charities and social enterprises and shop-front improvement grants to help support smaller retailers wanting to do business in the town centre.
Martin, who is involved in ongoing discussions with partners who shared his enthusiasm for developing the visitor economy, including business-related tourism, added: “I look at the night time economy which is available through independent businesses and it is much more interesting than Milton Keynes. The challenge is to ensure the night time economy meets the needs of different groups including young and middle-aged professionals.”
The growth of the University of Northampton is seen as a key to the town centre’s future prosperity.
Mark Charteress, manager at the Northampton branch of Handelsbanken, said: “The growth of the University campus, which will be very, very closely located to the town centre, will hopefully support a cafe-style culture which appeals to not only students but other people who visit the town.”
Other guests were still regular visitors to the town centre even though, like many other business people, their firms had relocated to out-of-town locations. The disjointed traffic system and poor parking were reasons for not using the town centre.
Now the group have thrown down the gauntlet to decision makers.
If Northampton is run as a business then what is the business plan for Northampton PLC?
If you want to contribute to the debate send your thoughts to ……..
Potential solutions:
City status: Northampton can claim to be the biggest town in England but guests felt it was time to take the next step. An unsuccessful bid for city status was made in 2000 but since then the powers at Northampton’s Guildhall have put a fresh attempt on hold.
Richard Darby said: “I believe Northampton has got to look to become a city. People would be more interested in visiting if they saw it more than just another town.
Heritage: Northampton’s rich history should be celebrated to attract visitors and encourage locals to take pride in their town.
John Sheinman was a founder member of the Town Centre Partnership and is a Director on the Board of Northampton Town Centre BID, an organisation set up to enable the town centre to ‘excel as a place to work, do business, shop and visit’.
John, an optometrist and vision scientist who moved to the town in 1963, has spent decades proposing initiatives to celebrate the town’s heritage. He shared his extensive work with the group and what he felt were ‘missed opportunities’ over the years.
John added: “When there are empty shops in the town centre why not work with businesses to highlight their work until they are relet; Church’s, Cosworth Engineering, Silverstone and many other celebrated local companies – we could be boosting the image of the county showcasing these industries.
“When I moved here I saw Northampton as a thriving county town – a place to be. We have a town with a unique heritage which should make us an attractive destination for visitors.”
He encouraged people to look at a website set up a few years ago which, while needing some updating, proposes what the town could offer – www.northamptonwithvision.co.uk