14 August 2009
South Northamptonshire Council has appointed WYG Planning & Design to prepare a comprehensive Masterplan for Brackley focusing on Town Centre and its rural catchment. Over the coming months they will be engaging with various sectors of the community.
Brackley is an attractive historic market town with a substantial rural hinterland, between Silverstone and Banbury. It is also the base for the Formula One team Brawn GP. As a result of the Governments ‘Growth Agenda’ Brackley is expected to expand. Planned correctly this unique opportunity could secure a bright future for the town. South Northamptonshire Council wishes to build a sustainable, vibrant community that meets the needs of current and future residents of the town. Its intention is to close the current service gaps and invest in new employment, retail, leisure, community and enhance the key gateways to the town.
This is an exciting time for Brackley with the recent completion of the Brackley College Placedevelopment and the various pre-application discussions which are underway on a number of sites including Radstone Fields and the Sawmills Site together with a current planning application for the land to the south of Turweston Road.
The Masterplan will also take account of the forthcoming Retail Study which is to be carried out by Chase and Partners and the Leisure Strategy being produced by Nortoft Partnerships Ltd.
Councillor Mary Clarke, Cabinet Member responsible for community regeneration, said: “This is an exciting time for the market town of Brackley which is due to expand over the coming years. Regeneration is not just about creating new buildings, but also about reinforcing the infrastructure that supports them. We want to provide Brackley with a cross section of much needed community facilities and amenities, as well as a wide range of employment opportunities. Residents, businesses and local groups will be invited to comment on Brackley’s key priorities during an extensive consultation exercise. This study is a key strategic document which will ensure that Brackley continues to be an attractive market town and is recognised as a key location for high quality housing, retail, economic and leisure investment which meets the needs of the local population.”
Simon Coles, Regional Director, WYG Planning & Design commented: “WYG Planning & Design is delighted to have been selected to work with South Northamptonshire Council, the local community and other stakeholders to develop a realistic blueprint for future development in Brackley. We are very excited to be involved in a project that will guide change in Brackley and are looking forward to getting started. Our approach will be to identify some relatively quick wins alongside longer term proposals that will make a real difference to the residents and the business community in Brackley and the surrounding area.”
