Initial meetings with the Advisory Panel and the community revealed the idea of “Look up Kettering” and the heritage value of the often wonderfully preserved upper floor facades ( which can often be missed). In seeking to protect the historic identity of the high street these buildings are to be celebrated. 

This policy idea looks to focus on shop fronts, principally in the Town Centre, both within and outside of the conservation area to support the visual aspect of the neighbourhood plan area as an attractive destination. The policy should be able to be applied just as easily to shopfronts outside the town centre.

Whilst a Kettering Shop Fronts SPD has been in place for some years, and some shopfronts have been very respectful of the identity of the town, there appears to have been an erosion of its architectural heritage at ground floor level in a number of instances. To seek to reinstate this sense of history and character in the town centre, this policy idea seeks to revisit the SPD and consider how better to protect (principally in the High Street, parts of Gold Street, Silver Street and Market Street) the market town heritage of Kettering through its shopfronts.

Initial Advisory Panel walkabouts identified several frontages considered ”poor” outside of the define town centre where an improvement to the shop frontage would give a significant visual uplift to an area. 

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