From the onset, WNDC recognised that headline projects like Avon Nunn Mills and St Peter’s Waterside wouldn’t regenerate the River Nene on their own. It needed to become a thriving community resource again.
“Whereas most towns treasure and celebrate their waterways, Northampton’s waterside had long been a forgotten and neglected asset.”
In 2009, WNDC invested £500,000 in Northampton’s Connect 2 Greenways scheme, helping to provide 4 km of new walking and cycling routes along the river. The initiative, which was also funded by the Big Lottery Fund, has helped to re-connect the river to the everyday lives of local people, whether they are commuting to work, popping to the shops, or simply just enjoying a riverside walk.
This new travel network was followed by the showpiece of Northampton’s waterside renaissance; the Becket’s Park Marina. Primarily funded by WNDC, the £2.5m facility opened in 2012 and has been a resounding success. It offers a base for up to 80 boats at a time, reflecting Northampton’s pivotal place on the waterway network, where the Grand Union Canal meets the River Nene.
