The town of Northampton has been of considerable importance from very early days having its charter granted in 1189.  The Industrial Revolution and the birth of the railway brought with it an expansion of the old boot and shoe trade to such an extent that by 1901 Northampton was the boot and shoe capital of the world.  The town retains its strong footwear connection with the Central Museum and Art Gallery housing the world's largest collection of boots and shoes.

 

Today Northampton is one of the fastest growing towns in the country.  It has grown from a market town into the thriving regional business centre it is today.  The population of the town is over 195,000 and 57% of the UK population is located within 100 miles.

 

Its central location and strong communications network have helped it to attract major national and international business, including Panasonic and Wells Soft Drinks.  Barclaycard, Avon and Carlsberg Tetley also have headquarters in the town.

 

 

Northampton's location allows easy access by road with 3 junctions to the M 1 providing a direct link to the north, south and west via the M6, M25 and M40.  The A14 links the area with the eastern part of the country.  For rail users there is a direct service to London Euston and Birmingham New Street.  The railway station is a 5-minute walk from the town centre.

 

 

A wide range of housing exists within the town and because it is a county town, the services provided cater for every need.

 

 

Northampton offers excellent facilities for leisure activities such as swimming, golfing and cycling.  There are also many gyms and fitness centres in and around the town.  Northampton is also home to the Saints Rugby Team, Northampton Town Football Club (The Cobblers) and Northamptonshire County Cricket Club.  There are also two major motor racing venues in the county; Silverstone Grand Prix circuit and Rockingham Speedway circuit.

For nightlife there is the Derngate and Royal Theatre, managed by Northampton Theatres Trust Ltd and a range of pubs, clubs, restaurants and Cinemas to choose from.

 

Northampton has 152 parks and open spaces within the perimeter of the Town and cycle ways taking you out into the open countryside.

 

 

A wide range of state and private schools are available in and around the town.  There are also a number of church schools.  For further and higher education there are two colleges; University College Northampton and Northampton College, with a combined student population of over 25,000 studying both full and part-time courses.

 

 

With leading high street names being well represented, combined with regional stores, the town centre is one of the leading retail centres in the East Midlands.  Most days of the week there is a large open air market on the market square.

 

The Council has also been instrumental in forming the Town Centre Partnership, which has over 100 members including local businesses, churches and other organizations.  The Council is working with the partnership to create a vibrant and lively regional shopping centre.

 

 

The Council is committed to providing excellent services to businesses.  It aims to promote industry and commerce in the town to enable existing employers to expand and to encourage inward investment  to the area.

 

The Council itself employs approximately 1,600 staff mainly based at the Guildhall, Cliftonville House and Westbridge Depot.  There are 47 Councillors representing 23 Wards.