Nearly £4 million project to refurbish three underutilised Wellingborough council buildings approved
A project costing nearly £4 million to refurbish three underutilised Wellingborough council buildings has been approved, with councillors saying the restorations will ‘become visible evidence’ that the town centre’s regeneration has begun.
A report went to North Northamptonshire Council’s (NNC) executive on Tuesday (July 14) seeking approval for works on Swanspool House and Annex, Croyland Hall, and Croyland Abbey to bring them up to modern standards.
The move follows an announcement from the council’s Reform-UK leader last year, which confirmed that the Wellingborough assets would no longer be disposed of and instead would be retained as staff offices.
Speaking at the executive meeting, Cllr Chris Munday, who represents the Croyland and Swanspool ward, welcomed the £3.8m commitment to the town centre.
He said: “This is not simply about repairing roofs and windows, it is about restoring confidence in Wellingborough.
“These buildings should become visible evidence that Wellingborough’s regeneration has begun. Refurbishing these buildings will not, by itself, transform the whole town centre, but it represents a significant and credible step.”
NNC selected Wellingborough as the first town to create a dedicated masterplan to bring together a vision for the area and set out future investment. A consultation on the draft proposals ran between May and June this year.
The Croyland Hall and Abbey have sat vacant since the former borough council stopped using the building as offices in 2011. Previous proposals to convert the buildings into apartments did not come forward and it has faced issues with anti-social behaviour and vandalism over the years.
The Swanspool offices are currently occupied by a small number of staff. However, according to the council report, they require essential improvements to ensure they remain safe for use.
Cllr Martin Griffiths, leader of NNC, added: “It pains me to see boarded-up listed buildings in the middle of our town centres.
“I want to see our staff in our town centres, I want to see economic growth in our town centres and I want to see footfall our town centres. This will help in all of those areas.”
It is anticipated that the refurbishment works will take place from spring 2027. Once completed, various council teams and Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT) staff will move into the buildings.
Cllr Elizabeth Wright, executive member for children and families, told members that NCT staff are currently spread across multiple locations in a ‘fragmented’ arrangement.
She said: “Ultimately, this is not about buildings, this is about people.
“If we want to continue improving outcomes for children and families, we need to support the workforce that delivers these services every day.”