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Council adopts vision for the future 22 Mar 2021 Council adopts vision for the future of Daventry Town Centre

Council adopts vision for future of Daventry Town Centre 

 

A fresh vision to enhance and improve Daventry town centre over the next 14 years has been adopted by Daventry District Council (DDC). 

 

The Daventry Town Centre Vision 2035 sets out a range of proposals for maximising the town centre’s potential, including the development of new leisure facilities and infrastructure as well as improvements to public spaces. 

 

Its overall aim is to create a green, healthy, vibrant, community-focused town centre that is digitally-connected and entrepreneurial, and respectful of the town’s rich history and heritage. 

 

Developed by DDC and Daventry Town Council in consultation with town residents, local businesses and other stakeholder organisations, the aim of the Vision is to set out a framework to guide investment and aid the town centre’s future development. 

 

Councillors voted to adopt the Vision at DDC’s final meeting of full Council last night (Thursday 18 March), and further recommended the Vision be adopted by the new West Northamptonshire Council, which takes over the running of council services from 1 April. 

 

Some of the proposals contained within the Vision include: 

Building a replacement leisure centre with swimming pools, a sports hall and tennis courts in the Chaucer Way/Brook Street/Waterloo area, known as the North West Arc 
Working with the owners of Bowen Square to remodel the area, creating more outdoor seating and event space, with a small reduction in the number of parking spaces 
Improving landscaping and introduce new play equipment at New Street Recreation Ground while exploring leisure options including a café, public art, a splash play facility and a multi-use games area 
Redeveloping the Police Station and former Magistrates’ Court, and the current leisure centre site, in order to create two mixed-use developments 
Redesigning Market Place to create an attractive space that can be used for markets and events as well as for parking 
Rejuvenating High Street and Sheaf Street by removing unnecessary street clutter, repairing and improving paving, and introducing architectural lighting and high-quality planting where appropriate 
Exploring options to remove or replace the canopy over Foundry Walk, and looking at the possibility of removing of the pagoda from the top of Sheaf Street to create a multi-use events space  
Creating a sustainable transport plan to set out the long-term approach to integrating walking, cycling and public transport infrastructure 
Launching a town-wide e-commerce platform to support and raise the profile of local independent retailers. 

 

The Daventry Town Centre Vision 2035 follows on from the 2021 Vision, which attracted around £50 million of investment into Daventry and delivered a number of schemes including the Abbey Retail Park, the iCon Centre, new education facilities off Ashby Road, and the Mulberry Place cinema and restaurants development. 

 

Work on this new Vision got underway last year and included two rounds of public consultation, giving people the opportunity to make suggestions and share their opinions.   

 

With the pandemic preventing the public events originally planned to give people an opportunity to have their say, the Council’s consultant Troy Planning created an interactive website at daventry2035.com where people could view the plans and complete questionnaires. 

 

Daventry Town Council adopted the Vision at its meeting on Monday 15 March and will work with the new West Northamptonshire Council to deliver it. 

 

Councillor David James, Daventry District Council’s Economic, Regeneration and Employment Portfolio Holder, said: “It is vital for the wellbeing and sustainability of Daventry, its growing community, and for the wider West Northamptonshire area that our town centre thrives.  

 

“We have worked closely with our partners at Daventry Town Council, as well as with local residents, businesses and stakeholder organisations, to develop a Vision that is both achievable, ambitious and that carries public support. We started with a blank page and it has been fascinating to see people’s ideas developed as we have moved forward. 

 

“The final Vision contains a lot of exciting proposals to serve the needs of our community and attract further investment to our town centre, and I’m confident that the new West Northamptonshire Council will be able to work with Daventry Town Council to deliver its aims.” 

 

Councillor Lynne Taylor, Mayor of Daventry Town Council, said: “Daventry Town Council welcomes Daventry District Council's decision to adopt the Vision and looks forward to working in partnership with the new West Northamptonshire Council and people of Daventry to meet the aspirations and aims of the vision.” 

 

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