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22 April 2024
People with a passion for governance, financial management, and risk assessment are invited to step forward and become independent co-opted members of the West Northants Audit & Governance Committee.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is seeking two dedicated individuals as independent co-opted members to join its Audit & Governance Committee.
The independent members will play an essential role in promoting excellence in governance, risk management, financial reporting, and counter fraud. They will actively participate in Committee meetings and provide independent assurance to the Council's members, residents, and stakeholders.
These non-voting members will assist in overseeing internal and external audit arrangements, reviewing financial statements and statutory accounts, and assessing the governance, risk management, and control arrangements of the Council.
" We are excited to invite individuals who have strong knowledge and experience in financial management, accountancy, audit, governance, or risk management to join our Audit & Governance Committee. Your expertise will be critical in ensuring that our governance practices remain robust and effective for the benefit of our residents."Cllr Malcolm Longley, Cabinet Member for Finance
The appointments will initially be for a four-year period, with the potential for extension. Successful candidates will receive an annual allowance of £500 and are expected to attend approximately six in-person Committee meetings per year.
For further information and to download an application pack, please visit the WNC website. Applications should be submitted by Wednesday, 8 May 2024.
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19 April 2024
From Tuesday 23 April visitors to Northampton Town Centre arriving by car will be able to use car parking payment app ‘Pay by Phone’ across all on and off-street parking spaces.
West Northamptonshire Council will be starting a 12 month trial of Pay by Phone across all of its car park spaces in Northampton Town Centre from Tuesday 23 April.
Pay by Phone offers a cashless parking solution for on-street parking greatly enhancing the cash only option currently available, as well as providing an additional option to the Councils non ANPR (auto-number plate recognition) off-street car parks.
Signage will be clearly displayed at all locations under the scheme and options will remain where currently available to continue to pay using cash and cards.
Pay by Phone will require a short sign up process for any visitors that do not already have the app, and then a ticketless, cashless parking experience.
Pay by Phone offers visitors flexibility in their visit with optional reminders about parking time due to expire and the ability to remotely top up a parking stay.
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18 April 2024
Low-income off-gas households with an annual income of £36,000 or less across West Northamptonshire are urged to find out if they could access essential funding to help them deliver energy efficiency upgrades and install clean heating systems.
The funding is made possible through the Home Upgrade Grant Phase 2 funding bid secured by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC).
Responding to feedback and a thorough review of the program, the Department of Energy and Sustainable Net Zero (DESNZ) has increased the household income threshold to £36,000, up from £31,000, to ensure that more families can benefit from this vital initiative.
The expanded eligibility criteria are anticipated to increase the number of eligible households by approximately 19% nationally within the scheme. This means more families will have access to the support they need to improve energy efficiency, reduce fuel poverty, and contribute to the UK’s Net Zero commitment by 2050.
WNC is partnered with Agility Eco to be able to offer this scheme to the people of West Northamptonshire this opportunity by arranging and carrying out the improvement assessment and all the retrofit work.
Local installers in each region will guide customers through the application journey, helping them understand and establish eligibility for the scheme. If eligible, the installer will identify which improvements for the home will provide the greatest benefits and arrange any necessary surveys and installations.
The home must also be heated by alternative fuels including electricity, oil, liquid propane gas, and solid fuels. The energy efficiency criteria will be determined by the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of the property and residents will be supported with this part of the eligibility process during application. Residents will be provided with a free EPC where they do not already have one.
The scheme allows funding per property to provide a range of energy and cost saving upgrades, depending on the specific circumstances such as the fuel source, energy efficiency and EPC rating of the home, with the most funding available for the least efficient homes heated by the most polluting fuel sources.
“With energy costs continuing to place severe pressure on household budgets, this scheme is an important chance for local residents to improve their homes, save money on their energy bills and reduce their carbon emissions. I would encourage anyone who thinks they might be eligible to get in touch to find out more.”Cllr Adam Brown, Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure at West Northamptonshire Council
How to Check Eligibility:
You can check if your property has an EPC and learn about your SAP score by at Find an energy certificate - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
West Northamptonshire Council understands that energy efficiency needs may change over time. If work has been done on your property since your last EPC assessment, your SAP score may have improved. Our dedicated installers will be able to verify your eligibility during your assessment.
You can access information and apply
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19 April 2024
West Northamptonshire Council has been informed by Cllr Jonathan Nunn that he has decided to stand down as Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member with immediate effect.
Cllr Nunn has been Leader of the Council since May 2021. Election of the new Leader of the Council will take place at the West Northamptonshire Council’s Annual Council meeting on 16 May.
Until this time the Deputy Leader of the Council, Cllr Adam Brown, will carry out the role of Leader alongside his current Cabinet duties for housing, culture and leisure.
“I would like to express my thanks and gratitude to Jonathan for all his hard work and commitment as Leader during the crucial, formative years of our Council and the important role he has played in shaping the strong and effective organisation it is today.Cllr Adam Brown“We now look ahead to continue to build upon all the good work we are doing as a council to deliver services to residents across West Northamptonshire.”
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19 April 2024
With just over a week left to go, parents, carers and young people are being encouraged to have their say in a consultation to help shape and refresh the early help support offer in West Northants.
The consultation asks families and young people on the use and experiences of early support services in West Northants, which includes local 0-19 (and/or up to 25 for young people with SEND) services for children and young people, as well as how they would like to access different forms of support in a way that best suits them and their needs such as; online, in-person and group settings to name a few.
The consultation is open until midnight on 28 April via the link here and provides an opportunity for families, parents, carers and young people to share their thoughts and feedback anonymously. All responses will feed into the Council’s approach to early help support as well as how we commission our services for children and young people aged between 0-19 (25) together with other local organisations.
Early help is a huge focus and priority for West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) and together with other local organisations are keen to review and strengthen this offer further to ensure there is the right support available in a way that is accessible and meets the needs of children, young people and families locally.
“When we talk about early help, we are referring to the support available to our children, young people and families that they can access themselves without a referral from a health or support professional. This support needs to be easily accessible and to offer information and guidance on a range of topics – this may be advice on newborn support and development, vaccinations for children, mental wellbeing advice for teenagers, and the list goes on. By ensuring people have access to the right early help can make a difference to their wellbeing, development, and ultimately their life experiences, so it is really important we get it right.Cllr Fiona Baker, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, Education and Skills“We can only do this by having the input and hearing feedback from our young people and families so I do encourage you to please take the time to complete the survey – whether it is all of it, or you complete the sections more relevant to you. All the feedback is incredibly valuable and shape our future direction.”
The consultation focuses on two essential topics of the early help offer, which includes:
- Establishing local Family Hubs in West Northants with the aim of ensuring all families with children aged between the years of 0-19 (25) can access help, advice and support they need for a wide range of services much more easily. This includes exploring different ways to make services accessible – for example building an informative digital offer and creating in-person ‘hubs’ where various services are available for families in one place.
Planning of the Council’s service specification for our 0-19 services – understanding what families and young people would like from these services will help to create a localised specification that meets the needs of our population.
The consultation closes on Sunday 28 April, at midnight. All responses from the survey will be anonymous.
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