How Kettering town centre will look after work to 'unlock its potential'

An artist's impression of how High Street could look

New trees, pavement, seating and bins will be coming to Kettering town centre as part of a £4m revitalisation project.

Street scene work is set to begin in January along the southern end of High Street and Meadow Road as well as parts of Lower Street and Gold Street, with work completed by the summer.

The improvements are part of the Kettering High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) project, a partnership between North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) and Historic England to revitalise parts of Kettering town centre to improve the look and feel of the town and showcase all it has to offer.

As part of the works new street trees will be planted with replacement pavement and road surfaces, new seating and bins. The project hopes to encourage visitors to look up at Kettering’s fine historic buildings. Building owners will also benefit from the HSHAZ scheme with grants available for building repairs, shop front improvements and building conversions.

Cllr David Brackenbury, NNC’s executive member for growth and regeneration, said: “This exciting programme of works will breathe new life into Kettering’s town centre and unlock its potential. It is hoped that this work will encourage people to visit and stay a while and use the businesses and services available in Kettering.”

Cllr Jason Smithers, leader of NNC, added: “I am delighted that this phase of the project is starting, and we will all be able to enjoy the improvements by summer next year. This exciting project will see the area revitalised and I cannot wait to see the end result.”

Louise Brennan, Historic England's Midlands regional director said: “Kettering has a great High Street with many fine buildings and huge potential. Historic England is excited to be funding these major improvements to the street scene. Good design, traditional and high quality materials will ensure these works complement the unique character of Kettering’s town centre.”

During the improvement works there is likely to be some disruption for pedestrians while sections are worked on.