Station car park, hotel and flats win approval

Plans for a multi-storey car park, a hotel and flats next to Northampton railway station have been given approval after several delays.

Network Rail and Blockwork applied to West Northamptonshire Council to build a "modern and efficient gateway into town".

The project includes a six-storey car park with more than 850 spaces, cycle and pedestrian access routes, a cycle parking hub, and bays for replacement bus services.

Outline approval has been given for the 100-room hotel and up to 280 flats, but they cannot be built until further planning permission is granted.

The plans went back in front of the strategic planning committee on Tuesday after councillors deferred the project in October, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Robert Gardner, who represented the applicant at the meeting, said the proposals formed "the second phase of the regeneration of the station", which was redeveloped and reopened in 2015.

The developer said the current car park would remain open while the multi-storey one was built.

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