Welcome to Corby
Corby is a town renowned for its reinvention. From its origins as a booming steel town in the mid-century, it overcame the decline of its main industry in the 1980s to be reborn as a centre of business and commerce.
Today, its promise lies in new business and housing developments, bringing employment, housing, amenities and cultural development. This growth has already made Corby one of the fastest growing places in England outside of London.
History of Corby
Corby has a rich heritage as the heart of the UK’s steel industry. Stewarts and Lloyds steelworks opened in the 1930’s, taking advantage of the local iron ore available and became one of the cheapest pig iron producers in the world. The population of Corby boomed from that of a village to a town.
Corby had put itself on the map as the backbone of the UK’s steel industry whose manufacture was vital to the nation. The Corby steelworks thrived through the Second World War and beyond, developing new iron ore extraction techniques to keep up with demand.
The closure of UK iron and steel works in the 1980’s led to the loss of 11,000 jobs in Corby and an unemployment rate of over 30%. The town had to reinvent itself as a centre of enterprise via extensive public and private investment.
Corby reborn
Now, Corby is a thriving centre of business that continues to grow and flourish. Named the manufacturing hub of the UK, it offers fantastic employment opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking urban environment.
Over £250 million of public investment and a £2 billion private spend has ensured that Corby is a town on the up. New housing developments such as Oakley Vale support a growing population as Corby attracts more new residents.
The beauty of Corby is in its ability to respond to the changing needs of businesses, as Electric Corby, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, states:
“The area is committed to growth and that means a great choice of new development sites, government initiatives to boost skills and education, modern transport infrastructure and the most supportive local agencies in the country.”
Future plans for Corby
The future of Corby is undeniably bright. Having played a foundational part in the growth and importance of North Northamptonshire to the country, the town will continue to play an essential role in the future.
The population of Corby has seen a 20% leap in the last 10 years thanks to a visionary programme of new business and housing developments. Corby is set to grow further with major residential developments at Priors Hall Park and West Corby.
You can find out more about the current and future plans for Corby via North Northamptonshire’s strategic plan which is currently under consultation.
A town on the up
Widespread public and private investment in Corby has reinvented the town in recent years. It now boasts a newly built shopping centre, restaurants, a theatre, library, Olympic-sized swimming pool and brand new cinema.
As well as a redesigned town centre, some of the most successful projects include:
- The £32 million Corby Cube building, opened in 2010, a huge concrete and glass civic centre boasting a 445-seat theatre, public library, register office and a new council chamber.
- The £6 million Savoy cinema, which opened in 2015, and seats up to 900 people. There are a number of restaurants also located within the building.
- The Corby Enterprise Centre is an £8 million development to support local commerce. Since 2010 the centre has provided flexible office and studio space for new enterprise and business start-ups in the area.
- Willow Place is a £40 million modern shopping and leisure environment with free Wi-Fi for shoppers and 1000 car parking spaces to maintain easy access. The area boasts over 120 shops, including many big name brands, plus bars, restaurants and coffee shops.
- Corby East Midlands International Pool opened its doors in 2009 and has been deemed one of the best leisure centres in the country. Costing £20 million, the development was in fact funded by receipts from the sale of land to housing developers, demonstrating how Corby is driving regeneration through population growth.
History of Corby
Corby has a rich heritage as the heart of the UK’s steel industry. Stewarts and Lloyds steelworks opened in the 1930’s, taking advantage of the local iron ore available and became one of the cheapest pig iron producers in the world. The population of Corby boomed from that of a village to a town.
Corby had put itself on the map as the backbone of the UK’s steel industry whose manufacture was vital to the nation. The Corby steelworks thrived through the Second World War and beyond, developing new iron ore extraction techniques to keep up with demand.
The closure of UK iron and steel works in the 1980’s led to the loss of 11,000 jobs in Corby and an unemployment rate of over 30%. The town had to reinvent itself as a centre of enterprise via extensive public and private investment.
Corby reborn
Now, Corby is a thriving centre of business that continues to grow and flourish. Named the manufacturing hub of the UK, it offers fantastic employment opportunities in an innovative, forward-thinking urban environment.
Over £250 million of public investment and a £2 billion private spend has ensured that Corby is a town on the up. New housing developments such as Oakley Vale support a growing population as Corby attracts more new residents.
The beauty of Corby is in its ability to respond to the changing needs of businesses, as Electric Corby, a not-for-profit Community Interest Company, states:
“The area is committed to growth and that means a great choice of new development sites, government initiatives to boost skills and education, modern transport infrastructure and the most supportive local agencies in the country.”
Future plans for Corby
The future of Corby is undeniably bright. Having played a foundational part in the growth and importance of North Northamptonshire to the country, the town will continue to play an essential role in the future.
The population of Corby has seen a 20% leap in the last 10 years thanks to a visionary programme of new business and housing developments.
You can find out more about the current and future plans for Corby via North Northamptonshire’s strategic plan which is currently under consultation.
A town in the up
Widespread public and private investment in Corby has reinvented the town in recent years. It now boasts a newly built shopping centre, restaurants, a theatre, library, Olympic-sized swimming pool and brand new cinema.
As well as a redesigned town centre, some of the most successful projects include:
- The £32 million Corby Cube building, opened in 2010, a huge concrete and glass civic centre boasting a 445-seat theatre, public library, register office and a new council chamber.
- The £6 million Savoy cinema, which opened in 2015, and seats up to 900 people. There are a number of restaurants also located within the building.
- The Corby Enterprise Centre is an £8 million development to support local commerce. Since 2010 the centre has provided flexible office and studio space for new enterprise and business start-ups in the area.
- Willow Place is a £40 million modern shopping and leisure environment with free Wi-Fi for shoppers and 1000 car parking spaces to maintain easy access. The area boasts over 120 shops, including many big name brands, plus bars, restaurants and coffee shops.
- Corby East Midlands International Pool opened its doors in 2009 and has been deemed one of the best leisure centres in the country. Costing £20 million, the development was in fact funded by receipts from the sale of land to housing developers, demonstrating how Corby is driving regeneration through population growth.
