Plans revealed to turn two major car parks in Northampton town centre into 'high-quality' housing

West Northants Council (WNC) has revealed its latest vision for the Greyfriars Masterplan which could see a whole new neighbourhood built in the ‘under-utilised’ area.

The proposals include redevelopment of the former Greyfriars bus station site, the Corn Exchange Building, Belgrave House, the Mayorhold Multistorey Car Park, the Victoria Street Car Park, and the areas known as the east and west islands.

‘Later living’ homes for the elderly could be built on Victoria Street car park, while flats to rent could be built on the Mayorhold site, according to WNC.

Over half of the 1,500 respondents to the first round of public consultation said they would consider living here with the introduction of active travel, culture and a new park, according to WNC.

A WNC spokesman said: “Northampton needs high-quality homes to support its growing population. We know that living in the town centre is a more sustainable option for many people. For those who wish to live closer to work, leisure, and public transport.“Greyfriars provides a good opportunity to deliver a mix of homes for a range of households. We are looking to provide homes to buy, homes to rent, student living and later living in this location.“We are also looking at more innovative solutions such as cooperative housing. This variety caters for all, from young professionals to families. It is important to ensure that Greyfriars welcome an inter-generational housing offer. This means being inclusive for all tenures and lifestyles.“On the site of Victoria Street Car Park, a natural opportunity for Later Living emerges. We imagine a courtyard that enables communal life and engages with the street and café along Lady's Lane.“Further west (Mayorhold), we would like to introduce a small cooperative living building. This will offer an opportunity to experiment with a tenure form that is less common in the UK. This means having a flat in a block where some facilities, such as dining areas and laundry rooms, are shared.” .

In 2022, WNC said the multi-storey Mayorhold car park is “significantly under-utilised” and maintaining the 50-year-old landmark is becoming such an issue that closing it could lead to “reduced costs and therefore greater efficiency of the council's resources”.

More housing in the Greyfriars Masterplan has been suggested to be targeted towards student living.

The WNC spokesman said: “We can strengthen Northampton's role as a university town with attractive and innovative student living. The site of the former Greyfriars Bus Station is a strong location for purpose-built student accommodation. It will form an anchor that brings the energy of student life right to the heart of town.”

The proposals for the masterplan have been designed by Studio Egret West, who have been paid £250k by WNC to craft a vision for the area.

People across West Northamptonshire are now being invited to view the latest plans and get involved in the next round of consultation, which is now open and will close on June 9.

Click here to see the council’s latest vision for Greyfriars. Click here to respond to the consultation.