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Community rallies to transform neglected area

Alex Pope
News imageWest Northamptonshire Council A group of people working together around a large wooden raised planter in an open square, adding soil and arranging colourful flowers. Gardening tools, potted plants and trays are scattered around the planter. In the background, more people are visible near a row of brick buildings with shopfronts and upper‑floor flats. The main workers are three women, and police officer in a high-vis jacket with her blonde hair tied back. West Northamptonshire Council
Volunteers worked for several days making raised beds and planting flowers

A community has come together to transform a neglected area.

About 50 people rallied to paint walls and plant raised beds over two days in Park Square in Kings Heath, Northampton.

West Northamptonshire Council said it had been identified as a space "in need of renewal" and this was the first phase of a wider regeneration project.

Michelle Smith from Northampton-based Travis Perkins Managed Services, which donated materials, said the transformation had made the area a "brighter and more welcoming environment for residents to enjoy".

"There was a real buzz and a tangible feeling of a community coming together to improve their neighbourhood," she added

News imageWest Northamptonshire Council A boarded up building before and after it was painted. The image on the left is before, showing dirty cream walls and the image on the right shows cleaner cream walls, black edging and black painted on the bottom of a pillar. West Northamptonshire Council
Park Square before and after it was painted

Kings Heath, three miles from Northampton town centre, was listed as one of 225 "left behind" areas in a study commissioned by a group of MPs in 2022.

The council said the Kings Heath Partnership was made up of organisations with a vested interest to "improve the area and address local priorities".

A deep clean took place and then volunteers from Travis Perkins, Kings Heath Primary School, The Church on the Heath, Kings Heath Residents Association, Free2Talk, Sports4Fitness, The County Toy Library, the neighbourhood policing team, council park rangers, Bees Be Happy community garden, and local councillors all worked together to revitalise the space.

News imageWest Northamptonshire Council A freshly painted Park Square, with a wooden planter in the middle. There are several shops and flats above the building with a glass barrier in front of the flats. A car is parked to the left with a play area behind the car. A satellite dish is on a wall and there are lots of white windows to the flats. West Northamptonshire Council
A freshly painted Park Square with a new wooden planter

Reform UK councillor Charlie Hastie said: "It's been inspiring to see so many people giving their time to make this shared space brighter, safer and more welcoming for everyone."

More work is set to be completed over the next few months with artwork set to be added next.

News imageWest Northamptonshire Council A large group of people all looking at the camera and smiling. Several a holding items like paint brushes, rollers, tools and plants. A sign is in the middle. Four people are kneeling down and the rest are standing up. Windows to a business are behind them. West Northamptonshire Council
Local businesses also provided refreshments and food to the workers

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