Council validates football club's warehouse plans

A football club's ambition to develop land next to its stadium has moved forward after a council validated its planning application.

Northampton Town FC has proposed a 19-acre (7.7 hectare) warehouse development on land adjacent to Sixfields.

Earlier this year, the club finally opened the new East Stand at the ground after a decade-long construction saga.

The club's chairman, Kelvin Thomas, said the plan presented "extensive benefits to the club and the local community."

He added: "The plan has already been through the pre-planning process with the council and received a positive response, the development is in line with the local plan and the community have had a chance to provide important feedback which was also positive."

"Retaining League One football last season was an important step for the club and being successful in this application will only help towards funding the club going forward as well as repaying the build costs for the very successful and popular LCS East Stand."

The club previously said the cost of completing the redevelopment of the East Stand had come at a cost of about £5m.

Documents on West Northamptonshire Council's planning portal show a development of seven warehouses with capacity for 11 separate tenants.

The heights of the warehouses range from nine metres (30ft) to 17 metres (56ft). A site plan shows that the largest would back on to the perimeter of the East Stand at Sixfields.

Part of the land due to be developed, directly to the east of the East Stand, was formerly a running track occupied by Rugby & Northampton Athletic Club.

The football club said it had worked with architects PRC on designing the warehouse plan, and had previously hosted a consultation event on the design of the proposed site.

It said the warehousing scheme could "significantly strengthen" its financial position, while improving local infrastructure and creating about 450 jobs.

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