Cityheart and West Northamptonshire Council commit to development agreement for £130+ million regeneration project

06 March 2025

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and regeneration specialist Cityheart have committed to a development agreement for the transformation of Northampton’s Four Waterside and Marefair sites. The agreement will be formalised in the coming weeks. 

Cityheart will be working in partnership with WNC to deliver the scheme, which is located off St Peter’s Way adjacent to the Railway Station. The project will deliver an ambitious mixed-use scheme for the town centre, bringing forward a complex brownfield site that has been vacant for over a decade. 

It will include grade A office space for new and existing businesses, a new hotel, high-quality homes including an extra care facility, as well as improved areas of public realm including paving and seating, and open green space.  

Since being selected as development partner in 2023, extensive archaeological and site investigation surveys have been carried out across both locations. 

Cityheart and WNC will now prepare a planning application for the remediation works which will prepare the sites ahead of construction.  This remediation work is expected to begin in autumn 2025 and will include ground preparation work which will determine the design of the foundations for the site redevelopment.  

The formal signing of the development agreement in the coming weeks will enable Cityheart to commence preparation of a planning application for the overall scheme, separate to the remediation works planning application. As part of the next steps, public engagement activity on the development proposals will take place in summer 2025, ahead of the planning application being submitted in autumn 2025.   

“We are delighted that our partnership with Cityheart will enable us to deliver this significant development. Their expertise will be invaluable in transforming the two vacant brownfield sites and providing high-quality facilities to meet the needs of our local community and benefit our local economy.

“This area has stood empty for too long, and once complete, this development will enhance the wider transformation of Northampton town centre, benefiting residents and businesses from across the area.

“It’s an exciting time for one of the key gateways into Northampton having recently entered into an agreement with John Lobb, Hermes, for the redevelopment of the Horizon House site and with the development of the Marefair Heritage Park site which is underway.”

Cllr Daniel Lister, cabinet member for local economy, culture and leisure

“We are incredibly proud to be developing this important scheme with West Northamptonshire Council. Our vision is to deliver waterside homes, commercial and leisure facilities as well as highly sustainable workspaces in a site which will open up the town centre from the rail station.” Andrew Sanderson, development director, Cityheart

The Four Waterside and Marefair scheme is one of the largest brownfield developments in the county with two sites totaling five acres at the entrance of the town from Northampton’s railway station. The appointment was via the Pagabo National Framework Agreement for Developer Led schemes (Region: East Midlands Lot 3c [£40m+] = Mixed Use). 

The project is supported by a £1.5 million grant from The Towns Fund and a further £7 million from the Northampton Waterside Enterprise Zone. WNC has secured £24.9 million to invest into transforming Northampton’s Town Centre, with several projects already underway.  

Turley are acting as planning consultants for the project. 

To find out more about the regeneration of Northampton and projects taking place across the town, visit www.wearenorthampton.com