History of Northampton Page 3
The Southern District Expansion
In 1973, plans for the second phase of development - the Southern
District - were unveiled. These covered land between the existing
town and the then new M1 motorway to the south-west of the town.
With the winding up of the Development Corporation in 1985, 18,000
new jobs, 35,000 more people, 42 miles of new roads and 20,000
new houses had been added to the town. Over 200 companies had
moved to Northampton, both from Britain and abroad.
The original plans for the Southern District included the area
which has become known as the South West District. When complete
the South West District will include over 4,000 new homes and
associated community facilities, up to 170 hectares of employment
land and a new country park in the River Nene Valley.
Upper Nene Valley Park
Upper Nene Valley Park will form the centrepiece of the new
South West District. This vast green lung will draw the countryside
into the heart of the town, protecting the wildlife and special
natural landscape qualities of the Nene Valley. As well as more
traditional leisure and recreational facilities, the park will
contain extensive water areas. These will include the River Nene,
Grand Union Canal, and the new Duston Mill Reservoir and lagoons
formed from former gravel workings, providing a wide range of
opportunities both for leisure and wide scale nature conservation.
The new South West District
will be a site for urban as well as nature conservation and contains
Northampton's newest urban conservation area. The St Crispin Conservation
Area covers 44 hectares and encompasses the buildings, gardens
and magnificent parkland of the former St Crispin Hospital, built
during the 1870s.
As well as new residential development and leisure, the South
West District will provide important opportunities for new employment
in Northampton. Swan Valley Business Park next to the M1 is the
largest area designated for employment, covering 80 hectares.
Development is already well under way. Wells Soft Drinks opened
their new headquarters and manufacturing and distribution plant
in early 1998. Jeans manufacturers Levi Strauss UK Ltd have also
elected to relocate their headquarteres and distribution centre
within the Borough to the new development.
The Master Plan Nears Completion
Covering 868 hectares, the South West District is the last
area of major development and will realise the completion of the
original master plan for the expansion of Northampton.
Source:
The text of this article was reproduced by kind permission of Northampton Borough Council.
The Photo on this page was taken by Peter Cockerill, Flash Photography, Northampton © 1999.
