The creation of a broader and more vibrant retail offer including a new department store is a key ambition of the Kettering Town Centre AAP. This will involve improving the integration of the high street area with central Kettering and facilitating the comprehensive re-development of the Newlands Shopping Centre.
The continued acquisition of properties to enable the redevelopment of the Wadcroft area is also vital to the regeneration of this area.
The Wadcroft site is the priority for delivering the first phase of retail development within the town centre. The aim is to facilitate large scale retail growth, creating modern floorspace including up to 90,000sq ft for an anchor store. Further space on this site as been allocated for residential and office development.
Kettering Borough Council has already bought properties linking the car park site to the high street as part of an overall scheme of land assembly that provides confidence for the market that major developments will progress.