04 Feb 180104 – ‘Backland’ Development Potential in Kettering

Like most market towns Kettering has grown rather randomly and sometimes quite badly. For example Kettering’s new ‘urban extension’ is as far away from the town centre to the East as the next towns and villages (Rothwell and Broughton) are to the West. But along with that that are hectares of under-used land in the town, some of it council owned, that could be used to increase the urban density WITHOUT over-stressing the infrastructure or using good agricultural land:

Two of the easiest to utilise are the ‘open’ car parks where the parking provision could be doubled with housing and workplaces added without any ‘land take’ at all. Network Rail could also add to their income by developing a whole new London outpost business district on the car parks at Kettering Railway Station. Again there would be the opportunity to add to parking provision, office space and housing within the town. The above are very simple, very straightforward, simple ‘wins’ that would boost the local economy, even if only keeping me, one of the town’s very few architects, employed 🙂