Council set to fund revamp of shopping precincts across Corby

Shopping precincts across the town are set to have a revamp

The estate shopping parades in places such as Rockingham Road, Greenhill Rise and Boden Close are in line for a freshen up with cash being used from the council’s reserves.

Corby Council officers have put together a growth bid to do work across the town and it will be decided upon by councillors at the One Corby Policy meeting next month.

The authority owns most of the town’s shopping parades, most of which date back to the 1960s and 1970s when the town underwent massive housing growth.

The move comes ahead of the proposed close down of the borough council in May 2020 and its replacement with a north Northamptonshire unitary authority which will provide services to the places previously covered by Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough and East Northants councils.

Corby voted against the unitary bid at the end of last month but with all other seven councils in the Northamptonshire voting in favour it is very unlikely that Corby Council can remain as it is.

At last night’s (Tuesday) overview and scrutiny meeting the authority’s head of property Jonathan Waterworth said a tender was being put together for the refurbishment and repair of the outside walkways and exterior at Rockingham Road shops.

He said: “A bid is being putting together to secure capital funds to improve our shopping parades.

“We want to work closely with council members to hear what shopping areas in their ward they think needed attention.”

Beanfield councillor Mary Butcher said: “I’m glad to hear we are going to be spending some money on our shop fronts.

“In Beanfield, myself and councillor Ann Brown have been heavily involved in Farmstead Road and those shops look tremendous now.

“Greenhill Rise has always been the bane of our life.

“We have been working with the community safety team to do a clean up round there.

“How long will this plan take to tidy the shopping precincts up?”

The officer said he hoped that all work could be completed by March 2020 and the council was keen for work to start as soon as possible.

The exact amount of the growth bid is not yet being made public.

Work will include replacing paving, guttering, new litter bins and decorative work.