Greyfriars Masterplan, Northampton

Greyfriars is one of the largest regional masterplans in the UK, and of critical importance to the future success to the economy and growth of Northampton, the county town in the East Midlands. We were invited by Studio Egret West (SEW) to join a multi-disciplinary team forming a highly collaborative and specialist group to tender to West Northamptonshire Council. Of National Importance, this was a highly competitive tendering scenario, with submissions by leading national and internationally renowned architects. Our brief was to advise on the mixed-use commercial vision and strategy and feed into the overall masterplan vision with crossover advice on public realm design, streetscapes, design, and technical specifications and user requirements, loading and logistics and on through narrative, identity and context.

Drawing on a depth of experience from The Crown Estate and our work on London’s King’s Cross masterplan & regeneration schemes, a layered approach was adopted working through a ‘Blueprint’ programme, starting with heritage, from ancient origins through to modern industrial and cultural, socio-economic context, demographics, gap-analysis, amenity layer and dialling-in that USP idea; the suggestion of a new ‘Creative Quarter’, building on the highly acclaimed ‘Cultural Quarter’ and ‘Knowledge Quarter’. It was the reinterpretation, reclamation, reigniting the pivotal role of traditional Boot and Shoe making, the towns primary industry that once employed 90% of the workforce; and so, we did, with full gusto, passion, and of course an authentic approach through knowledge of the town, research, industry, civic, academia, livery companies and guilds, government level input.

Team SEW were awarded the tender in 2024 and progressed the masterplan through one of the most successful public consultations in the UK in recent years, with the backing of the town, people and civic, to take the transformational vision forwards. The Masterplan was intended to be used to attract inward investment via a joint venture with a development partner, which it did when English Cities Fund signed a 6-month agreement option.

The masterplan won the prestigious national Pineapple Award for ‘Future Place Award’ in April 2025.

Vision and Strategy, Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration, MDT Collaboration, Building Technology, Specification and User Requirements.