West Northamptonshire Council has appointed Placefirst Ltd as the development partner for the redevelopment of the former St James Depot site in Northampton, West Northamptonshire, UK.

The St James Depot project involves the redevelopment of a site in Northampton through a high-quality, residential-led scheme. West Northamptonshire Council is seeking to work with an experienced development partner capable of providing the resources and expertise needed to bring the project forward. The council intends the partnership to establish shared objectives, allocate project risks appropriately and create a clear mechanism for delivering the development. 

The development partnership is planned to be structured through a Development Agreement, with Heads of Terms to be developed during the dialogue stage. The agreement is expected to be conditional on an overall Business Plan, which will be based on the successful tender submission and supported by a detailed masterplan and delivery strategy. This approach is intended to provide a framework for turning the site's development aspirations into a commercially viable scheme. 

The procurement was conducted using the Competitive Flexible Procedure under the Procurement Act 2023. This allows the council to hold structured dialogue with shortlisted potential suppliers before final tenders are submitted, with the aim of encouraging innovation, quality and collaboration while maintaining commercial viability. The estimated contract value was £45 million excluding VAT (£54 million including VAT), with an anticipated contract period running from January 2026 to January 2030. 

The council undertook market engagement with several developers before launching the procurement, including Placefirst, Keepmoat, Igloo Regeneration and Muse Places, to obtain views on the site's development potential, residential mix, masterplanning, heritage considerations and the most suitable delivery structure. The latest Stotles notice identifies Placefirst Ltd as the current supplier, indicating that the development partner procurement has been awarded.