Old Kettering court house will become flats
NNC has approved plans to convert a disused Kettering court house into 14 flats
The applicant, Ms Thompson, wrote in planning papers that the former Kettering County Court building, located on Dryland Street, is ‘dilapidated’, boarded up and needs restoration.
North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) also said the building, which is currently disused, had been subject to vandalism over a number of decades.
Most of the property will be preserved, with only internal or rear construction works on the main 1939 style building. A single-storey annexe building to the right however will be demolished and a three-storey extension rebuilt.
The finished apartment block would contain 12 two-bed and two three-bed flats. NNC said the seven parking spaces provided would be acceptable due to the flats being close to the town centre, with nearby bus links.
At a planning meeting discussing the application on Wednesday (September 10), Cllr James Towns said: “It’s going to put the building back into use rather than it being at risk of potential break-ins, any vandalism, and squatting.
“I’m happy that it’s going to be residential use as well – we need more people in the town centre to improve the environment there and encourage more businesses with the service of local residents.”
The planning committee unanimously voted to approve the plans.
Papers state that the development is not financially viable to deliver any S106 agreements, which are ususally put in place to offer contributions to the local community.