'Decaying' Northampton to become 'exciting for visitors'

A town with what has been described as an "embarrassing" litter problem is to be branded as "exciting" for visitors.

The borough council has drawn up a vision to increase tourism in Northampton, which includes creating a visitors' app and displaying museum artefacts in empty shop units.

It will also consider road signs to invite people to stop and visit rather than just drive through.

But it currently faces a backlog of rubbish and a struggling town centre.

New waste contractors started work this week and were given three months to empty overflowing rubbish bins and clear litter-strewn parks.

Northampton also came in for criticism from broadcaster and vicar Richard Coles, who grew up there.

He said the town centre was "decaying" and it risked losing "even more energy and prosperity" after its Marks and Spencer store was earmarked for closure.

Recommendations made by a Northampton Borough Council scrutiny committee include displaying artefacts in empty shop units and the possible opening of a "prominent" tourist information centre before the town's museum reopens.

It suggested branding Northampton as "an exciting place to visit" and aspiring to be a "city of culture" by 2025.

The committee also said funding should be sought to maintain monuments such as the 13th Century Eleanor Cross, which is due to be repaired this summer after falling into a poor state.

The borough council has called for an action plan to promote the town internationally in the wake of an international heritage row after it sold off the Egyptian statue Sekhemka.

Money from that sale is being used to help pay for the refurbishment and extension of Northampton Museum, which closed in February 2017 but will not reopen until next year at the earliest.

The recommendations will be considered by the borough council cabinet on 13 June.