A £20 million regeneration programme for three Corby neighbourhoods now has a local chair, moving the Pride in Place work from a funding announcement towards the harder question of how the money will be used.
Alex Bonner, a lifelong Corby resident, has been chosen to chair the Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter Neighbourhood Board. The board will oversee a 10-year programme intended to set local priorities, prepare a regeneration plan and decide how investment should be directed across the three estates.
The appointment matters because no spending plan has yet been finalised. The next stage is to build the rest of the board, bring residents and local partners into the process, and turn the broad £20 million commitment into a practical programme for Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter.
£20 million over 10 years for three Corby estates
The national Pride in Place programme will provide £20 million of investment over the next decade for Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter. North Northamptonshire Council says the Neighbourhood Board will be responsible for shaping a shared long-term vision and producing the regeneration plan that identifies local priorities.
That means the funding is not a single short-term grant with projects already fixed. The council’s announcement makes clear that the plan still has to be developed, and that decisions on how the money will be spent will come through the board process.
For residents, the practical issue is representation. A 10-year programme can affect public spaces, community facilities, local services, youth provision, business support and wider estate improvements, but the source material does not yet name any specific schemes. Until the board is formed and consultation begins, the £20 million figure shows the scale of the opportunity rather than a confirmed list of works.
Similar Pride in Place schemes are also running in Avondale Grange in Kettering and Queensway in Wellingborough. A related example of how other places are preparing for long-term regeneration can be seen in this report on a £20 million community transformation programme in Blacon.
Alex Bonner brings school and estate experience to the role
Bonner was born and raised in Corby and has lived on the Exeter estate for 24 years. She has worked with young people for more than three decades, including 17 years at Kingswood Secondary Academy, where she teaches English and sits on the senior leadership team.
That background gives the new chair direct ties to the area covered by the board. It also places education and youth experience close to the centre of the early leadership, although the eventual priorities of the programme will depend on the full board and the engagement process with residents.
The chair’s responsibilities include convening the board, supporting transparent governance and helping to co-create the 10-year Pride in Place vision. The role also involves working with the local MP, councillors, community representatives, businesses, partner organisations and residents.
North Northamptonshire Council said the chair position was open to people who live or work in the area and have strong connections to the three Corby neighbourhoods. Bonner’s appointment is the first confirmed leadership step, but it is not the full governance structure.
Board membership is the next decision point
No decisions have yet been made on the remainder of the Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter Neighbourhood Board. The next step is for the chair to select fellow members.
That stage will be closely watched because the board will shape how local priorities are gathered and how the regeneration plan is written. A board with credible neighbourhood links will have a stronger route into the everyday issues residents raise, from estate conditions and community safety to facilities for children and young people.
The council’s announcement also stresses legacy. The chair is expected to help ensure there is a lasting structure or benefit after the 10-year programme ends, rather than a set of disconnected projects that fade once the funding period closes.
Residents still need the spending plan before judging impact
The appointment does not, by itself, confirm when residents will see the first funded projects. The available details show the leadership choice, the investment scale and the board’s remit, but not a timetable for consultation, board membership announcements or project delivery.
The immediate milestones are clearer: appoint the rest of the board, establish transparent governance, engage residents, identify priorities and produce the regeneration plan. Only then will the £20 million programme move from a headline allocation to named local decisions for Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter.
Source: North Northamptonshire Council
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This article is based on North Northamptonshire Council’s announcement about the Corby Pride in Place board chair appointment.
- Verified the named chair, Alex Bonner, against the source announcement.
- Checked that the £20 million figure refers to a 10-year Pride in Place programme.
- Confirmed the affected neighbourhoods as Kingswood, Hazel Leys and Exeter.
- Separated confirmed facts from details not yet announced, including final board membership...
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- North Northamptonshire Council
- Scope
- Corby
- Updated
- 2026-05-27 17:29
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