December 2007
19/12/2007 - George Street Corby - Joining up the Public Realm
Northamptonshire Enterprise Limited (NEL) has committed £175,000 in support of a project led by Corby Borough Council with £50,000 of match funding from GAF to commission design work on the public realm required on the length of George Street in Corby from the junction with Westcott Way to the junction with Alexandra Road. The project will ensure that there is a consistent tratement to the public realm works that are commissioned on this important entrance into Corby. The importance of this stretch of George Street is heightened by the number of major projects that are and will be constructed on the frontage of this road as part of the Parkland Gateway including the Civic Hub and Theatre, the Willows Place shopping centre and the new Olympic-sized Swimming Pool. The objective of this project is to ensure that there is a consistent approaach to the design of Public Realm works on George Street. The major impact from this project will be to secure a coherent, consistent and integrated approach to the design of the public realm along the entire length of this important gateway into Corby town centre so that as this and other projects go forward there are clear plans to regenerate Corby with obvious implications for economic and job growth in the town as a whole.
03/12/2007 - Rockingham Park Leisure Scheme Pushes On
Senior members of Corby Borough Council and the North Northants Development Company (NNDC) gathered today to celebrate the topping out ceremony of OFF Developments' Rockingham Park Leisure scheme. OFF Developments was founded by Market Harborough-based developer Mike Foster who was formerly head of mixed-use development at Railtrack. Construction of the 75,000 sq ft mixed-use development on the northern outskirts of Corby, which began in July, has been progressing apace. The steelwork and cladding is almost completed. At the heart of the £10m scheme, which was funded by Dunbar Bank, is a three star 86-bedroom hotel which will be the first Hampton by Hilton in Europe. Speaking at the ceremony Foster said: "It is tremendously fulfilling to deliver a bespoke leisure scheme to a town that has previously suffered a dearth of such facilities. I am very grateful to the directors, officers and members of Corby Borough Council and the NNDC for their ongoing support. Their dedication to the improvement of Corby is truly inspiring. "I would also like to thank the contractor and the design team who have kept the scheme to plan, on time and within budget." Wetherspoons has also chosen the 4.5 acre scheme to launch a new family pub and restaurant format which will trade as The Samuel Lloyd and Dominos will premier its new European format at Rockingham. Subway will also be taking a retail unit. OFF Developments has just appointed national agent Bidwells to join local agent Budworth Hardcastle in a final push to secure tenants for the remaining 12,000sq ft health and fitness club, a 5,000 sq ft day nursery and a 7,000 sq ft children's activity centre. Foster added "We hope to make an announcement on a tenant for the big box leisure element of the scheme over the next few weeks. We have been in negotiations with a number of parties." Chris Mallender, Chief Executive of Corby Borough Council. said: "This exciting gateway development demonstrates how the council's plans to create more employment and bring new amenities to Corby are succeeding." With the exception of the hotel which is expected to open in July 2008, the developer hopes to be able to hand over buildings to tenants by the end of January. Peter Hubbard, deputy managing director of contractor Mainland Construction said: "It is a privilege to work on such a gateway site and to play our part in improving Corby. Work has been able to progress so quickly because it is a relatively straight forward site but also because of the hard work put in by the developer and his design team." Cllr Pat Fawcett, Leader of Corby Borough Council said: "It is great to see new investment flourish in Corby. I have been tremendously impressed with how much progress has been made since I last was onsite, at the launch of the scheme, in the summer. I'm really looking forward to being able to enjoy a family meal there early next year." NNDC's chief executive Bob Lane said: "North Northants Development Company and its predecessor Catalyst Corby have supported OFF Developments' plans for this site since they were first launched in 2005. We are delighted to see the realisation of Rockingham Park, which provides further evidence of Corby's commercial renaisasnce." Image: Front row l-r: Bob Lane, Cllr Pat Fawcett,Deputy Mayor Cllr Peter McEwan. Back row l-r: Chris Mallender, Peter Hubbard, Mike Foster