An engineering hub with excellent capital connectivity
Northampton is situated on the River Nene, about 67 miles north-west of London and 50 miles south-east of Birmingham.
Historically the waterways paved the way forward for Northampton’s popularity and expansion and it became a major trade route for Birmingham, Manchester and London and has been expanding ever since. The 2011 census listed Northampton with a population of 212,100.
Property prices are currently around 16% less than the national average in Northamptonshire. However, prices are rising. Land Registry figures state they increased 6.8% in June 2014 which is above the national average of 6.4.
The number of private rental properties has also risen significantly in the last year. With trains to London Euston arriving in just 56 minutes, Northampton is becoming an increasingly popular commuter town.
During World War I Northampton’s shoe industry supplied over 23 million pairs of boots to the armed forces. Shoemaking and other leather industries were the major trades here. Today only specialist cordwainers such as Wildsmith Shoes, & Crockett & Jones survive. Some of the magnificent old shoe factories having been renovated into modern offices and stylish apartments buildings.
Engineering has taken over from cordwaining as the town’s major employer. The arrival of the M1 motorway along with the rail link ensured Northampton grew into a commuter town for London’s post-war overspill.
Today some of Northampton’s main employers are in distribution, due to its excellent positioning in the East Midlands. Banking and Finance play a major role too, many major financial businesses have their head offices here. That means Northampton property investment is perfect for you if you're looking for regeneration property for your portfolio.
Economy & Employment
Finance and banking institutions are major employers in the region
Manufacturing has taken a back seat to distribution and finance in Northampton’s private-sector employment.
Barclaycard employs 2,800 staff, Nationwide Building Society 2,500 and Greencore 1,100. In addition to these Panasonic, Travis Perkins, Coca Cola, Schweppes, Simply Business, National Grid, Carlsberg and Texas Instruments all have premises here.
Employment had increased over the last year (April 2013 to Mar 2014) by 5,400 more people (ONS) and expected to rise again this year.
The University of Northampton is also a major employer, as is St Andrew’s Healthcare, a national mental health charity Andrew’s, is a flagship hospital in the United Kingdom’s largest psychiatric hospital.
Investment
Northampton has a £20 million railway and waterside regeneration project underway.
Local projects include the £20 million redevelopments of the current railway station and improvement of Northampton’s waterside. As well the expansion of Northampton Museum, the merging of the University into one new campus in the town centre and renovation of the Grosvenor Shopping Centre.
The £6.3 million projects to transform the Grade II listed Delaprey Abbey from a derelict site to a tourist attraction has just begun. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has pledged £3.65 million for the project, which will be rounded up to £6.3 million by Northampton Borough Council and other sources. Roofing work was completed last year thanks to a £200,000 grant from English Heritage for safety work which was required before the main restoration could start.
Transport
Air: East Midlands Airport and Luton Airport are quickly accessible by the M1; Birmingham Airport is also just north of the town via the M1 and M6 motorways and also by train.
Rail: Northampton railway station is on the Northampton loop of the West Coast Main Line. It has services southbound to London and northbound to Birmingham and Crewe provided by London Midland. Virgin Trains also provide two daily services to London.
Road: Northampton is near junctions 15, 15a and 16 of the M1 motorway which connects Northampton with both London and Leeds. The A45 and A43 link Northampton with the other major towns in Northamptonshire and are accessed by a partially completed ring road.&
Bus: Stagecoach serves areas within the town and also provides travel to outlying villages within the county, making links to Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Rushden and Wellingborough. They also go as far as Bedford, Leicester.
Education
There are 50 primary schools, secondary schools, 5 special schools and<7 independent schools in the vicinity.
Notable institutions include:
Northampton School for Boys, which became the top performing comprehensive school in the country in 2007
Northampton School for Girls, the first school in England to gain Specialist Music College status.
Further Education: Northampton College is the FE provider it is one of the largest in the South Midlands, with two campuses in the town, offering vocational courses, GCSEs and A Levels. Moulton College is another FE college just north of Northampton which also provides many vocational courses, specialising in land-based subjects, sports and construction.
Higher Education: University College Northampton offers courses from foundation undergraduate to postgraduate & doctoral qualifications.
Shops & Leisure
Shopping: Abington Street, the Grosvenor Centre and Market Walk are the main shopping areas in the town. There are also out-of-town retail
Leisure and Culture: Billing Aquadrome leisure park is on the eastern outskirts with a caravan site, marina, funfair, bar, riverside restaurant and converted water mill with original workings. Popular annual events include Northampton Carnival, Northampton Balloon Festival, Delapre Beer Festival, the Dragon Boat Race, the Umbrella Fair, Diwali celebrations and St Crispin’s Fair.
Green Spaces: According to the website of the Northampton Borough Council, there are a total of 170 parks and open spaces around Northampton, which altogether span around 1,880 acres.
