Kettering town centre framework

CABE helped Kettering Borough Council create a town centre framework which secured £5 million in growth area funding (GAF II).

Kettering adopted a masterplan in 2005 to co-ordinate changes to the town centre needed to meet the needs of an increasing population.

Kettering Borough Council were awarded £230,000 in growth area funding (GAF II) to create a detailed delivery plan, with the option to apply for a further £5 million to deliver the masterplan.  This included free support from a CABE enabler.

Kettering Borough Council’s interest in good design was not reflected in the masterplan or developer briefs.  The CABE enabler helped the council to commission a town centre framework to underpin the masterplan by setting clear standards for design quality and a greater focus on the public realm.

The town centre framework helped the council secure the full £5 million.  . With the support of CABE’s enablers, the council became more willing and adept at asking for and specifying high quality design. The CABE enablers also gave the council the confidence to manage development more proactively. As a result, the council was better equipped to deliver the masterplan through projects that would improve the quality of what had been a declining town centre.

How the CABE enabler helped

• ran a stakeholder workshop to review the masterplan, establish benchmarks, identify issues and build stakeholder relationships
• provided feedback for the framework design brief
• helped the council appoint consultants for the town centre framework
• helped to appoint a design team and assessed progress
• advised on project management and governance arrangements
• provided a ‘health check’ of delivery arrangements for a key site
• helped  to develop a specific project delivery plan
• promoted the importance of Kettering leading the project.