In March 2018, following financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers at Northamptonshire County Council, the then Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid, sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all-district and borough councils in the county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county.[9] These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire were merged to form a new unitary authority called West Northamptonshire, whilst the second unitary authority North Northamptonshire consists of the former Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough districts.[10][11]
Governance
West Northamptonshire Council provides both county-level and district-level services. The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.[16]
Political control
Since its creation in 2021, the Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council:[17]
Leadership
The leader of the council from its first meeting following its creation in 2021 was Jonathan Nunn, who was the last leader of the old Northampton Borough Council. Ian McCord, outgoing Conservative leader of the old South Northamptonshire District Council, had served as leader of the shadow authority set up to oversee the transition to the new arrangements.[18]
Composition
Following the 2021 election and subsequent changes up to May 2024, the composition of the council was:
Four of the six independents sit together as the 'Independent Group'.[20] The next election is due in 2025.
Elections
Elections for a shadow authority were due to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020 but were postponed until 6 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New ward boundaries have been drawn up to take effect from the 2025 elections, which will reduce the number of councillors from 93 to 76, to be elected from 35 wards each electing one, two or three councillors. From 2025 elections will be held every four years.[21]
Premises
Council meetings are generally held at Northampton Guildhall, with the nearby former Northamptonshire County Council offices at One Angel Square serving as the council's headquarters.[22] The council also inherited offices at The Forum in Towcester from South Northamptonshire District Council and Lodge Road in Daventry from Daventry District Council. The Forum continues to be used as additional offices and for some council meetings, whilst Lodge Road has closed, being replaced by a smaller area office in Daventry.[23]
Demographics
Population
Population pyramid in 2020
The West Northamptonshire population was estimated to be around 406,733 people in 2020, in 2011, off of previous administrative boundaries, the population of the West Northamptonshire area was around 375,101 people, with it being 345,589 people in 2001.[24]
Gender
In 2020, there was around an estimated 202,004 men and 204,729 women.[24]
Ethnicity
Age structure
Media
In terms of television, West Northamptonshire is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia with television signals received from the Sandy Heath transmitter. [28] However, some southwestern parts of the area such as Brackley is served by BBC South and ITV Meridian broadcasting from the Oxford TV transmitter. [29]
^ a bUK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – West Northamptonshire Local Authority (E06000062)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
^ a bFenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: local authorities". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
^"Northampton's parks and historic buildings may be managed by another council after unitary changes". Northampton Chronicle. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
^"Northamptonshire County Council: statement". 27 March 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
^"Northamptonshire: Unitary authorities plan approved". BBC News. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
^"AT LAST! Northamptonshire's new unitary councils are made law by parliament". Northampton Chronicle. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
^"West Northamptonshire Council welcomes new Chairman". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
^Lincoln, Nadia (17 May 2024). "New leader of West Northamptonshire Council officially voted in at annual meeting". Northampton Chronicle and Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
^Calkin, Sarah (11 August 2020). "Shadow unitary appoints first chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
^Council, Northampton Borough. "Councillors agree next steps towards shadow authority preparations". www.northampton.gov.uk.
^"Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
^Area, West Northamptonshire Council-Northampton. "7 May 2020 Elections". www.northampton.gov.uk.
^"Northamptonshire councillor wins appeal over Conservatives expulsion". BBC News. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
^Lincoln, Nadia (24 April 2024). "Conservative HQ responds to calls to remove whip from former West Northamptonshire Council leader". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^"Your councillors by party". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
^"Contact us". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
^Heath, Martin (22 January 2024). "Office move 'will save £350k per year' - West Northants Council". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
^ a b c"West Northamptonshire (Unitary District, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
^1991 census data taken from NOMIS which was extracted using the 'local authorities: district / unitary (prior to April 2015)' geography type.
^"Office of National Statistics; 2001 Census Key Statistics". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
^"2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
^"Full Freeview on the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
^"Full Freeview on the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
^"West Northamptonshire - with parishes". City Population. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
^"Coat of Arms". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2023.