North Northamptonshire

Cultural Masterplan

A flexible Cultural Masterplan uniting four former districts across one of the UK's fastest-growing populations.

StrategyNorth Northamptonshire

Following local government reorganisation, North Northamptonshire Council needed a shared vision for culture to unite four former districts while recognising the distinct identities of its towns.

Building on established strengths in heritage and tourism, CTConsults developed a Masterplan that redefined culture by placing equal emphasis on the creative industries, festivals, arts and creative practice. With one of the UK's fastest-growing populations and a geography shaped by administrative boundaries rather than a single sense of place, the Masterplan introduced a flexible governance and delivery model that could operate at county, district, town and neighbourhood levels.

The Masterplan has provided a long-term framework for cultural development, informing investment, supporting local partnerships and shaping town-level cultural ambitions. It has already led to the creation of a new Cultural Officer role within Discover Northamptonshire, grant programmes, and supported several UK Town of Culture bids.

“I honestly don't think I have been to a cultural consultation gathering that ended with such positivity with the breadth of organisations and individuals represented.”

— Chair, Northamptonshire LVEP

“It has been an absolute pleasure to work with CTConsults in the development of the Culture Masterplan. The feedback from partners has been excellent to such an extent that they are now keen to deliver the action plan and want to know what happens next. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the team.”

— Manager, Discover Northamptonshire