Plans to demolish old Kettering Court House for flats
Plans to partly demolish an old court house in Kettering and replace it with 14 flats have been unveiled.
Developers say the building is currently ‘dilapidated’ and boarded up and needs restoration.
Located in Kettering town centre, the old Kettering County Court house is found at the corner of Dryland Street and High Street.
The main part of the building appears to date before 1939 and would be largely unchanged, with a smaller annexe earmarked to be demolished as part of the project.
Applicant Lara Thompson has submitted plans to North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) laying out their intention to build a three-storey extension in place of the annexe.
The rest of the building will receive restoration work according to the planning papers, but will only undergo internal or rear construction works.
The finished apartment block would contain 12 two-bed flats and two three-beds. Blueprints show a total of seven parking spaces have been identified for the tenants.
Planning papers submitted by the applicant say: “The old Magistrates Courthouse is disused, in a dilapidated state and is currently boarded up. The annexe building to the right, which is not residential in appearance with a large single viewport (that once served as a reception to the magistrate court), is in dire need of redevelopment.
“This site has been vacant for years, and the applicant seeks planning permission for fourteen much-needed residential units. The proposed scheme will make increased use of existing residential land within a well-established residential area, right at the doorstep of Kettering’s town centre.”
It also indicated that the proposal will be profitable to be built out, but is not financially viable to deliver any affordable housing on site or S106 contributions.
Consultation on the plans will end on November 23, with a target decision date set for mid January 2025. You can view the full application here.