Daventry: Former council headquarters put up for sale

16 February 2024

Martin HeathBBC News, Northamptonshire

News image — The building in Daventry was the headquarters of Daventry District Council until 2021

Google Brick building with red frames and rails — The building in Daventry was the headquarters of Daventry District Council until 2021

The former headquarters of a council that no longer exists has been put up for sale.

The 41,537 sq ft (3,859 sqm) building on Lodge Road, Daventry, was previously the home of Daventry District Council, which was abolished in 2021.

The real-estate company, Lambert Smith Hampton (LSH), said the site could be "suitable for various uses".

No guide price has been published for the building, which was opened in 1987 by Princess Anne.

In 2021 West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) replaced Daventry District Council to form a unitary authority, along with the Northampton borough and South Northamptonshire district.

After the takeover, the authority found itself owning several office buildings in Northampton, as well as the Forum in Towcester and offices on Lodge Road in Daventry.

Council staff have been gradually moving out of the surplus buildings, and some of Daventry's services have been relocated to the Abbey Centre in the town.

The offices on Lodge Road have been mostly vacant, with only a small part of the ground floor still occupied by a branch of Jobcentre Plus.

The civic centre was opened by Princess Anne in 1987, and replaced a number of town-centre buildings occupied by different departments of the district council.

Daventry District Council Woman wearing long grey coat and grey hat walks past a car outside a brick building with red railings — Princess Anne opened the civic centre in Daventry in December 1987

A council report in 2017 said the Lodge Road site was "tired" and there had been no major investment in it since its construction.

The report concluded: "The building is now in need of refurbishment and consideration should be given to the way the council uses the premises going forward."

James Avrill/LDRS Residents queuing at night outside brick building with red rails — In 2020 about 400 people turned up at the building in support of proposals for a new doctors' surgery

Over the years, the building has been the scene of a number of demonstrations. In 2020 it was reported about 400 people turned up to support proposals for a new doctors' surgery in the village of Byfield, Northamptonshire.