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Derek Hooton Way officially opened
Published Monday 22nd August 11
A new access road into Wellingborough’s High Street development site, named after former council leader and mayor Derek Hooton, will be officially opened on Monday 22 August.
Mr Hooton was elected to Wellingborough Council in 1973 and served for 30 years. He was council leader between 1991 and 1997 and served as the town's mayor between 1985 and 1986. He received an OBE in 1993 and was made an honorary freeman of the borough in 2003. Mr Hooton died in 2009 at the age of 82.
The new road starts next to the florists on Oxford Street and runs into the development site, which is intended to eventually feature a mix of residential properties, offices, retail and a hotel, as well as public open space. The road was constructed using £1 million of government money and was required to make the site accessible and attractive to potential developers.
Councillor Graham Lawman, chairman of Wellingborough Council's development committee, said: "Derek Hooton gave a lifetime of service to the town and the county in general and we thought it would be fitting to have a town centre road named after him. He lived in the town centre and he was very keen on the development of Wellingborough, so I'm sure he would be honoured that this stage of the regeneration is in his name."
Derek Hooton Way will be officially open by the Mayor of Wellingborough, Cllr Bhupendra Patel, on Monday 22 August at 12pm. Guests include Cllr Tim Allebone, Derek Hooton's son-in-law.