Moat Lane Regeneration
The Moat Lane area of Towcester lies near the centre of the town and is an area that has been developed from the earliest times. It contains buildings and remains from Roman and mediaeval times with later additions built in the Nineteenth Century. The area lies to the east of Watling Street, which, together with the market square, is the main focus for the town, but Moat Lane has become rundown and is no longer an area that attracts great interest. However, it possesses many assets, including its old buildings, the Scheduled Ancient Monument (SAM) of Bury Mount, the Mill Stream and open setting to the east. The area is very accessible to the town centre, and this advantage could be exploited through improved pedestrian access to Watling Street and new vehicular access from Northampton Road.
The Planning Brief
A Planning Brief for the area was adopted in November 2007. It considers the Moat Lane area to be an appropriate central focus for the community by providing a civic and cultural focus. There will be opportunities as well for retail, office and residential development together with tourism facilities. The role of the brief is to coordinate efforts to bring this development about. The content of the brief draws on government and regional guidance, the adopted Local Plan, an appraisal of the Moat Lane area and a report on the future of Towcester, A Vision for Towcester. These will all be used to provide input for proposals for the redevelopment of the Moat Lane area up to 2026.
West Northamptonshire Development Corporation's Planning Committee has now given outline planning approval for a major regeneration scheme that will transform Towcester town centre.
The Moat Lane development includes the creation of new shops, offices and community facilities, as well as a new hotel, library and decked car park. The scheme is breathing new life into a historic site along with renovating a collection of disused buildings in the town centre.
An earlier phase of the scheme has already been completed, following the renovation of Bury Mount, an ancient medieval fortification, and the restoration of theWatermeadows, former private land now opened as a new public park.