News

A new era for Northamptonshire is coming as preparation for the upcoming May 2021 elections is well underway.On 1 April 2021, the eight district and borough councils across Northamptonshire will merge to create two brand new unitary authorities. The change means that North Northamptonshire Council will take over all responsibilities for the elections formerly held […]

People in North Northamptonshire will see no interruption to their household waste and recycling collections when the new council takes over on Thursday, 1 April. During a meeting of the North Northants Shadow Executive Committee in February, members approved the Household Waste and Recycling Policy the new North Northamptonshire Council will follow from day one. […]

Pursuant to the Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020 (as amended) and the Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003, the Shadow Council has received a report of an Independent Remuneration Panel on recommendations for a Scheme of Members’ Allowances for North Northamptonshire Council. The scheme of allowances will take effect from 1st April 2021 and […]

After final budget proposals for North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) were approved by the shadow authority’s executive last week – they will now appear before a meeting of the full Shadow Authority for final approval.Council leaders are emphasising that this first budget for the Shadow Authority presents a fresh start for their residents with the new […]

People who want to have their say on how climate change is tackled by the new North Northamptonshire Council (NNC), now have until next week following an extension of the consultation.At the end of last year, the North Shadow Authority set up a Climate Change Task and Finish Group and called for members of the […]

The final budget for 2021/2022 for North Northamptonshire Council is set to be considered by the Shadow Authority’s Executive Committee this week.In papers published following a seven-week consultation period, the council is presenting a balanced budget on a total net revenue spend of £292.5million.Final recommendations include a Council Tax increase of 4.99 per cent, comprising […]

Preparations for local elections in May are underway and North Northamptonshire residents are being urged to make note of important deadlines.On Thursday, 6 May 2021 a poll will be held to elect Councillors for the new North Northamptonshire Council (NNC).The new unitary authority will replace Corby Borough Council, East Northamptonshire Council, Kettering Borough Council and […]

Work to create two new councils is reaching a peak with just two months until they take over the delivery of the majority of public services in Northamptonshire. Since the 1970s Northamptonshire has existed under the so-called two-tier system, where-by the majority of services are delivered by two types of councils. In the two-tier system […]

On 25th February 2021, North Northamptonshire Shadow Council is due to consider an Independent Panel’s recommendations for a scheme of members’ allowances applicable to North Northamptonshire Council.An Independent Remuneration Panel has been convened in accordance with The Local Authorities (Members’ Allowances) (England) Regulations 2003.The regulations require all local authorities to maintain an Independent Panel to […]

There are just three months to go before the creation of the new North Northamptonshire Council, with vesting day on 1st April 2021.The new authority will take over responsibility for the services currently delivered by the Borough Council of Wellingborough, Corby Borough Council, East Northamptonshire Council, Kettering Borough Council and many of the services provided […]

First steps in the journey towards shaping the new highways services for Northamptonshire’s two new unitary councils got under way this month at an industry day for potential future contractors.Around 100 representatives from a wide range of highways providers attended the virtual event to find out more about the process for bidding for two new […]

The first ever draft revenue budget for North Northamptonshire Council was approved by the shadow executive on Monday, December 7th and now we’re seeking views on the proposals for when the council comes into existence in April next year.People can take part in the consultation in the following ways:Completing the online survey at: https://futurenorthants.citizenspace.com/north/budget-2021-22Writing to: […]

With the publication of the first ever draft revenue budget for North Northamptonshire Council, leaders of the shadow authority are emphasising that this is a fresh start for their residents. The total draft revenue budget for 2021/2022 is £284.8 million with the new authority providing all local government services in the north of the county […]

The new logo for the upcoming North Northamptonshire Council has been given the go-ahead and will become the emblem of the unitary council when it comes into being on 1st April 2021.Members of the North Northamptonshire Shadow Executive approved the logo at their meeting on 26 November, in what is a significant step forward in […]

UPDATE  – Consultation extended until Thursday, 18 February 2021.  People from across North Northamptonshire are being encouraged to share their ideas on how their new Council should tackle climate change when it is formed this spring. On 1 April 2021 North Northamptonshire Council will replace the existing district and borough councils of Corby, East Northants, […]

Views are still being sought on proposed changes to Local Council Tax Support Schemes in Corby, Kettering, East Northants and Wellingborough, through a consultation questionnaire, which must be completed by 30th November 2020. The schemes provide a reduction for working-age people and households on low incomes, to help them pay their council tax bill. There […]

The proposed final logo for the upcoming North Northamptonshire Council has been published today, 18th November.It will be considered for approval by the Shadow Executive for North Northamptonshire Council at its meeting on the 26th November.

UPDATE – Consultation extended until Thursday, 18 February 2021.  Members of the public are being encouraged to give their ideas and suggestions on how the new North Northamptonshire Council should tackle climate change and improve the local environment. On 1 April 2021 North Northamptonshire Council will replace Corby, East Northants, Kettering, Wellingborough councils and the […]

People are being invited to give their views on proposals for how social housing will be allocated across North Northamptonshire from spring next year.On 1 April 2021 the new North Northamptonshire Council will replace the existing district and borough councils in Corby, East Northants, Kettering and Wellingborough, which each currently have their own rules for […]

People in Corby, Kettering, East Northants and Wellingborough are being invited to have their say on proposed changes to the Local Council Tax Support Schemes (LCTSS).The schemes, also known as Council Tax Reduction Schemes, provide a reduction for working-age people and households on low incomes, to help them pay their council tax bill. There are […]

More detail has been published today on the blueprint for the new unitary council for North Northamptonshire. The detailed blueprint sets out an overarching view of how the services will be delivered and fit together in the new North Northamptonshire authority, including who will deliver them and from where, a plan to transfer safely and […]

Following a national recruitment drive, the North Northamptonshire shadow authority formally approved four key appointments on Thursday, 17th September. These are key statutory positions, which will play important roles in the success of the future North Northamptonshire Authority and build on the appointment of the new Chief Executive, Rob Bridge, announced in August. These were […]

Time is running out for those who want to have their say on designs for the new North Northamptonshire Council logo.The survey on the three shortlisted designs ends Sunday, 6 September ahead of final decision on the logo scheduled for the autumn.  Cllr Jean Addison, Chair of the Communication and Engagement Task and Finish Group […]

Following a national recruitment drive, the North Northamptonshire shadow authority has appointed Rob Bridge as its first chief executive. Rob is currently chief executive of Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (WHBC). Leader of the North Northants Shadow Authority, Cllr Russell Roberts, said: “we are extremely pleased to be recommending the appointment of one of the leading […]

Draft outline blueprint published In another significant milestone reached today the draft outline blueprint has been published for the future North Northamptonshire council, which will go live on April 1st 2021. The draft blueprint sets out an overarching view of how the services will be delivered and fit together in the new North Northamptonshire and […]

In a key milestone, draft proposals for three possible logo designs for the future North Northamptonshire Council have been unveiled today and feedback invited to help shape the final design.The three logos have been created by in-house designers from the existing councils and now residents are invited to have their say on their preferred design.As […]

Widespread public consultation is today launching across Northamptonshire with residents and businesses on future opening hours for the main customer services for the new West and North councils when they go live on 1 April next year.  The consultation closes on 23rd August.The proposals focus on bringing current opening hours, whether by telephone or face […]

The leader of the North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority has today announced the councillors who will have a portfolio role in the unitary preparations for the new council in the north.Russell Roberts, North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority Leader, said: “This is a key step in creating a new council of which we can all be proud.“The portfolio […]

As part of their plans to transform local services for the future, the two new shadow authorities for North and West Northamptonshire have signed up to the Local Digital Declaration today along with the Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Government Digital Service. The declaration is a cross sector shared mission, enabling […]

Closer partnership working is the key to ensuring the new North Northamptonshire Council has better, joined-up services for residents, councillors heard last night. At their latest online meeting, members of the North Northants Shadow Executive endorsed a fresh collaborative approach with the existing councils towards managing land, buildings and finances in the run-up to the […]

Councillors on the North Northamptonshire Shadow Executive met last night for the first time to agree the scope of a suite of task groups that will help to deliver a new unitary council in the north of the county.Over 150 councillors met online last week for the very first North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority meeting. Last […]

Councillors from across North Northamptonshire came together last night for an historic meeting that laid the foundations for the new unitary council in April next year.Members from Corby, East Northants, Kettering and Wellingborough councils joined county councillors covering those areas to take up their seats for the first meeting of the North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority, […]

Councillors from across Northamptonshire will take up their seats on the two new shadow authorities this week as preparations progress to create the North and West unitary councils. Members of the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority will meet for the first time at 7pm on Tuesday (2 June) and the North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority at 7pm […]

A national recruitment drive launches today to find and appoint the chief executives and statutory director roles that will head up Northamptonshire’s two new unitary councils.Legislation requires that by the end of December this year, a permanent Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer and Chief Finance Officer (Section 151) must be in place for each of the […]

Two new Northamptonshire shadow authorities will hold their first meetings early next month as preparations progress to create the North and West Northamptonshire unitary councils on 1 April next year. Members of the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority will meet for the first time on Tuesday, 2 June at 7pm and the North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority […]

With tackling the Coronavirus everyone’s top priority, plans for creating two new councils in Northamptonshire will be scaled down, with a new approach called ‘Safe and Legal Plus’.New legislation that came into effect on 8 May, as expected confirms the new North and West Northamptonshire Councils will start on 1 April 2021.  This follows the […]

Plans to create two new unitary councils for the county from next April will now continue within the planned timescales following the confirmation today of new legislation by the government.Following the postponement of May’s local elections because of the Covid-19 pandemic, an alternative approach and new legislation were needed for the creation of the organisations.The […]

“Next week the government will publish, and legislate for, its response to dealing with the Coronavirus pandemic.  It will include reference to the planned reorganisation of Local Government in Northamptonshire. We welcome the clarity this will provide.“We expect that this legislation will outline the creation of two new Shadow Authorities to come into being in […]

You can now read the latest Future Northants Bulletin for February 2020. You’ll find a round-up of news and information on the work towards creating the two new unitary authorities, including updates on shadow-authority arrangements.

Parliament has today passed legislation to replace Northamptonshire’s eight existing councils with two new unitary authorities on 1 April next year.The Northamptonshire Structural Changes Order has now been approved by the House of Commons and House of Lords, enabling the creation of a new North Northamptonshire Council serving the areas of Corby, East Northants, Kettering […]

The draft minutes of the last meeting of the North Northamptonshire Joint Committee held on Monday 10th February are now available on the link below.https://www.kettering.gov.uk/meetings/committee/52/north_northamptonshire_joint_committeePlease note that the next meeting of the Committee will take place at 6.30pm on Thursday 5th March at Kettering Borough Council. The agenda will be issued during the week commencing […]

The Structural Change Orders have been debated by the House of Commons and the House of Lords. Both houses will now vote to approve the SCO. You can follow the latest progress using these links:Commons – https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/131b25ec-0454-4a7d-a199-c5f57d6aa2ecLords – https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/1cc91354-18ec-4db7-b064-524927f39b8d

The Northamptonshire Structural Change Order (the piece of legislation required to create two unitary authorities in Northamptonshire) was debated on Monday, 10 February in the House of Commons at approximately 4.30pm. You can watch the debate here – https://parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/131b25ec-0454-4a7d-a199-c5f57d6aa2ecThe SCO will be debated in the House of Lords on Tuesday, 11 February and you can […]

Councillors will meet soon to consider the latest financial forecasts for the work to create a proposed new unitary council for North Northamptonshire.Members of the North Northamptonshire Joint Committee will meet at East Northamptonshire Council (ENC) in Thrapston on Monday, 10 February from 6.30pm to consider the latest updates on the Future Northants programme, the […]

You can now read the latest Future Northants bulletin for January 2020.You’ll find a round-up of news and information on the work towards creating the two new unitary authorities, including updates from each of the portfolios on the work undertaken so far.

The purpose of this document is to briefly explain to suppliers the business and technical requirements and the expected scope of the contact centre solution in order that suppliers can explain the relevance of products, services and their experience to the requirements. Please note that the corporate telephone system is out of scope.Download the Soft […]

Councillors progressing preparations for a North Northamptonshire unitary council have backed a plan of action to recruit senior managers that will head the new shadow authority.At their first meeting of 2020 in the Corby Cube on Thursday evening (16 January), Members of the North Northamptonshire Joint Committee also welcomed the robust and transparent financial process […]

Finance and recruitment will be among the focus for councillors steering forward proposals for a new Northamptonshire unitary authority when they meet on Thursday (16 January). Members of the North Northamptonshire Joint Committee will be considering a range of reports and updates on the Future Northants programme at their first meeting of 2020 in the […]

The piece of legislation (Structural Change Order) that formalises the creation of two unitary authorities in Northamptonshire was laid before the General Election was called in 2019. It was considered by the House of Lords Secondary Legislation Scrutiny Committee and was noted as an ‘instrument of interest’ before purdah started. Then the SCO lay dormant […]

New meeting dates have been scheduled for the two joint committees tasked with progressing proposals for Northamptonshire’s two new unitary authorities.The North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire Joint Committees will resume their meetings in January to continue preparations for setting up shadow authorities for the new unitary councils ahead of their proposed creation in April 2021. […]

The eight local authorities in Northamptonshire are running a soft-market testing exercise for providers of future website/intranet, CRM and Workforce Management System solutions. This is in advance of a formal procurement process, and is in anticipation of formal go-ahead from Parliament for the creation of two new unitary councils in the county in April 2021.  […]

As Parliament has now risen in preparation for a General Election, the Structural Change Order to create two new unitary authorities in Northamptonshire will be considered once a new Government is in place.

Government legislation required to create two new unitary councils in Northamptonshire has been laid before Parliament. The document, known as the Northamptonshire Structural Changes Order 2019 (SCO), sets out how the two new unitary authorities will be formed to replace the existing eight councils on 1 April 2021. The Draft Order will now be considered […]

The Minister for Local Government has written to Northamptonshire councils confirming his decisions for the legislation required for the creation of two new unitary authorities. Known as a Structural Change Order, the legislation sets out timings of elections, duties of shadow authorities (the councils that will be in place prior to the actual North and […]

The Minister for Local Government yesterday wrote to the leaders of Northamptonshire Councils confirming that the legislation necessary to establish the two new councils would be in Parliament as soon as practicable this autumn. He also confirmed that the legislation would provide for elections to the new shadow authorities being held in May 2020. At […]

The latest updates on preparations for a proposed new unitary authority in North Northamptonshire were discussed last night at a public meeting in Wellingborough. Councillors from Corby, East Northants, Kettering, Northamptonshire County and Wellingborough Councils met for the second time as the North Northants Joint Committee on Monday 16 September 2019 After receiving an update […]

Two new websites have launched offering a reliable source of information about the move toward unitary governance in Northamptonshire. Named ‘Future Northants North’ and ‘Future Northants West’ they will carry the same core information while outlining the separate processes being followed in the north and west of the county. View the websites at www.futurenorthantsnorth.org and […]

The inaugural meeting took place on 24 June 2019 Members from Corby, East Northants, Kettering, Northamptonshire County and Wellingborough have met for the first time as a Joint Committee to consider all of the work needed to create the new North Northants Council. At its inaugural meeting (24 June 2019), the Joint Committee elected Cllr […]

The vision for the new unitaries has also been set out in a prospectus for change Following the announcement that two brand new unitary councils will be established in Northamptonshire on 1 April 2021, the eight councils involved have agreed a way forward to deliver a programme that will see better-quality service delivery across the […]

Two brand new unitary councils will be established in Northamptonshire on 1st April 2021 (Vesting Day), the Government confirmed today. The North Northamptonshire unitary will cover Corby, East Northants, Kettering and Wellingborough and the West Northamptonshire unitary will cover Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire.  The existing district and borough councils and Northamptonshire County Council will […]

Consultation by the Secretary of State (SoS) over plans to restructure local government in Northamptonshire which could include two unitary authorities has started today. The Government consultation has launched following proposals submitted by Northamptonshire councils back in August 2018. SoS, James Brokenshire has announced that he will consult with all principal councils in Northamptonshire, principal […]

“All seven district and borough councils note that NCC has met to discuss its challenging financial position and set its priorities for future service delivery. NCC’s new leadership team has expressed a desire to work more closely with the districts and boroughs than has been the case in the past and we, as a group, […]

Northamptonshire’s eight local authorities jointly thank all the people who have taken part in the recent consultation on local government reform in the county. The information gathered from the questionnaires, telephone surveys and workshops held across the county is now being independently analysed ready for publication at the end of August. The results will help […]

Consultation on a re-structure of local government in Northamptonshire starts today, with opportunities for all residents, businesses and other stakeholders in the county to have their say. All eight authorities in Northamptonshire are working on a proposal for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government that “must command a good deal of […]