Work to start in 2026 on delayed £12m leisure hub

The redevelopment of a former Northampton shopping centre as a food and entertainment venue will get underway early next year, West Northamptonshire Council has confirmed.

Under proposals first put forward by developer Stack Leisure in 2023, the repurposed Market Walk Shopping Centre will create a “prime destination” in Northampton’s town centre for food, drink and entertainment, and act as an anchor development to support the regeneration of Market Square as a high-quality events space.

Planning permission for the new venue was granted in March 2024, but work is yet to begin on site – with West Northamptonshire Council saying a number of “technical and preparatory steps for delivering the development” had taken longer than expected.

In August a spokesperson for Stack also told the Northampton Chronicle and Echo that hold-ups on some of the firm’s other developments had resulted in a “knock-on effect”, which had delayed the start of works.

Newcastle-based Stack Leisure operates eight venues in the UK, mostly in the north-east of England, and specialises in creating multipurpose entertainment venues in large, repurposed retail units.

The scheme is being supported by a £4.2m of money West Northamptonshire Council’s Towns Fund, with a further £8m investment from Stack Leisure.

Cllr James Petter, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure at WNC said: “As with any major regeneration scheme, dates are always indicative and subject to change. Both teams are working hard to bring this project forward, and we’re confident that STACK Northampton will be worth the wait.

“This development will create a vibrant destination for food, drink, live entertainment and events, and play a key role in the wider regeneration of the town centre. We look forward to sharing further updates as the scheme progresses.”