Kettering car park capacity significantly reduced due to building works

Shoppers and workers who use Kettering's London Road car park will have to be prepared to find an alternative place to park as the town centre GLaM project gets under way.

North Northants Council (NNC) has warned users of the car park, that serves motorists accessing town centre facilites from the south, that its capacity will be reduced.

Three adjacent Grade II listed buildings in Sheep Street which are collectively labelled GLaM (Kettering Gallery, Library and Museum) will be renovated to create a ‘cultural anchor’ for north Northamptonshire.

Construction is due to begin on the £3.9m makeover with parking spaces reduced in the London Road car park from June 14 to allow access for site preparation.

A spokesman for NNC said: "Parking spaces will be reduced in the London Road car park in Kettering from June 14 to allow access for construction site prep for the town's exciting GLaM project. Alternative car parks are available in the area."

Residents in the local area have had a leaflet warning a 'significant section' of the 'lower and upper London Road cars parks are to be used as a site compound' and that during the construction period - June 2021 to Spring 2022 - spaces would be 'reduced'.

Currently capacity at the London Road car park has been reduced due to the Covid test centre that occupies approximately 50 spaces, including a staff car park.

Users of Kettering Swimming Pool and Gym, the Cornmarket Hall , the Kettering NNC hub and Heritage Quarter have been redirected to four alternative car parks meaning an increase in traffic in other areas of the town to negotiate the town's notorious one-way system.

Motorists have been advised to use Commercial Road car park (NN16 8DQ) near Meadow Road, Wadcroft car park (NN16 8TH) at the back of High Street, School Lane car park near Montagu Street (NN16 0DH) and Queen Street car park (NN16 0BZ) that is close to Horsemarket.

NNC have promised deliveries to the site will be time restricted 'to minimise the impact on local residents' and that noise monitoring would be carried out during the project.

Jeremy Bacon, a resident in nearby Tennyson Road, said: "Whilst the new development is to be welcomed I am concerned about the impact on the town.

"I would like to see a loosening of restrictions in other areas of the town to compensate for the loss of parking spaces."

Construction will take place Monday to Friday from 7.30am to 5.30pm and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm.

During the construction period The Blitz Tea Room and the Cornmarket Hall will operate as usual.

A spokesman for North Northamptonshire Council said: “Site preparations for the GLaM project will be starting in Kettering mid- June, with construction aiming to start in July and due for completion in Spring 2022.

“In order to allow safe access for the contractor, a section of the lower and upper London Road car-park will be used as a site compound, so availability of spaces will be reduced.

“Staff, who are office based, are being asked, where possible, to park at one of the alternative council parking sites to allow greater access for the public to key services.

“These are in Commercial Road, Queen Street, School Lane and Wadcroft.

“The site compound parking will be clearly signposted once in position and alternative parking sites will also be noted at the entrance and exits.

“Staff and residents have been communicated with and updates have gone out on social media.

“The Cornmarket Exchange, COVID test centre and Blitz Tea Room will be operating as usual.”