About Us

Introduction to Upton

Upton was developed by the Homes and Communities Agency, formerly English Partnerships, in partnership with Northampton Borough Council and The Prince’s Foundation. Upton was one of the first examples in the UK of a ‘sustainable urban extension’. This means that Upton is a development that is part of Northampton and would provide residents with their own range of local facilities all aimed at creating a vibrant community.

Cutting down on the use of cars, improving public transport, using energy efficient building techniques and natural drainage methods (SUDs) were all features incorporated into the plans for Upton, designed to lessen impact on and to enhance the environment. Upton has won critical acclaim and awards for its innovative development approach.

The Elgar Centre now takes bookings for a variety of different meetings and events. The day to day running is looked after by our Centre Manager, supported by the Management Committee who give their time voluntarily, providing assistance to the community centre across many different areas.

History of The Elgar Centre

As part of the Upton development, Northampton Borough Council designed an Interpretation Centre – a community facility to serve the users of the Upton Country Park and as an additional amenity for Upton residents. The Elgar Centre has been designed as an educational and community resource as well as providing changing facilities for the new football pitches.

The centre was finally built by HCA in 2010 and opened for community use in Spring 2011. In November 2010 the building was formally named The Elgar Centre in memory of the late Brian Elgar who lived locally. Brian was a member of the Upton Steering Group, Vice Chair of Upton Parish Council and a key participant in the Upton Grange Residents’ Association. In his youth he was a keen sportsman and he devoted much of his life to helping those less fortunate than himself, especially young people. One of his sayings was - “If you do a little good in the world, it’ll do you the world of good”.