Northamptonshire’s Local Government Restructuring: Four Years On

The government recently unveiled proposals for a significant reorganization of local government, featuring an increase in unitary authorities and regional mayors. However, this announcement likely resonated with residents of Northamptonshire, as the county transitioned to two unitary councils less than four years ago, following the dissolution of its county council and district and borough councils. This raises questions about the circumstances leading to this change, its impact, and the potential for further modifications. Northamptonshire County Council exceeded its budget by millions of pounds, leading to two instances in 2018 where it had to halt all non-essential expenditures. Philip Hollobone, then the Conservative Kettering MP, characterized it as “the worst run” local authority nationwide and criticized its weak budgetary control. Consequently, the government appointed three commissioners to supervise the council’s operations. Effective 2021, the county council ceased to exist. It was abolished, alongside seven district and borough councils within the county, to establish two new unitary authorities: West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire. This unitary model consolidates almost all council services under a single administration. Services such as planning, waste collection and recycling, and environmental health were integrated to be managed by these new unitary bodies. Conversely, services including school admissions, roads, and libraries were divided, having previously been managed by the county council. Initially, certain services were jointly administered by the two new councils. For nearly 18 months, a single Director of Public Health served the entire county. However, a service review prompted a change, and as of October 2022, there are now two Public Health services and two Director’s supporting people in each respective authority area. In 2020, an independent trust assumed responsibility for children’s services throughout Northamptonshire, receiving financial support from both councils. The dissolution of seven districts and boroughs, along with the county council, necessitated the “harmonising” of numerous services, as termed by the authorities. A specific area addressed was garden waste charges; previously, some districts and boroughs imposed fees while others offered free collection. Currently, charges are uniformly applied across both council areas and have seen annual increases. Both councils encountered resistance when revising their policies for Hackney Carriage and private hire drivers. A four-year disagreement concerning the division of balances from the former Northamptonshire County Council was resolved only in August. This dispute centered on allocating the assets and liabilities of the county council, which encompassed both geographical areas. Adam Brown, the Conservative leader of West Northamptonshire Council, stated that “there are massive advantages of having a unitary council” but suggested that further alterations to local authorities in Northamptonshire might occur. Earlier this year, six unitary authorities—West Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire, Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes—submitted an expression of interest to the government, proposing greater devolution through a South Midlands combined authority. Mr. Brown commented: “We do have one of the most centralised systems of local government in Europe and I think it’s time that was addressed and corrected.” Jason Smithers, also a Conservative and leader of North Northamptonshire Council, remarked that it is “a very exciting time” for local government and that increased devolution would contribute to “create a proactive, proud and prosperous area for all of our residents”. However, Ian McCord, who previously led the now-defunct South Northamptonshire Council, expressed skepticism, believing that the unitary system has not provided the “fresh start” it had the potential to be. The current Independent councillor on West Northamptonshire Council cautioned that additional devolution might “alienate the rural areas all the more” within the envisioned combined authority. The government intends to declare the regions of the country it is prioritizing for devolution “in due course”, with mayoral elections for these areas targeted for May 2026. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.