16 December 2022

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is urging residents to use the network of warm spaces available if they need to during this extremely cold winter period.

The rising cost-of-living is resulting in unprecedented pressures on people in financial hardship, and this winter, despite the support given by the government, many people will struggle to be able to afford to heat their home. There is concern that combined with the threat of loneliness, the physical and mental health of residents may suffer.

WNC has worked with partners to establish a network of over 70 Warm Spaces this winter. Warm Spaces are places where people can gather for free in a warm, safe, welcoming place to come together to stay cosy, and perhaps enjoy a hot meal or a cup of tea and a biscuit.

The centres are open to everyone and include libraries, community centres, community hubs and other places offering a warm welcome and free to use for anyone struggling to heat their home. Some venues will also offer hot drinks, activities, and other services such as free Wi-Fi.

The Council has created a map of venues across the Daventry, Northampton, South Northamptonshire areas as well as a number of others further afield in the county that are providing free warm spaces that you can go to during the colder months.

This, plus the list of warm spaces, is available on the WNC website along with information on specific days and times the centres are open.

"We know that the colder weather can have a serious impact on residents’ health and can also be a lonely time for many people.

"These warm spaces are heated, safe and a friendly place where you can comfortably spend time reading, studying or chatting with others and we urge people to come along and make use of them.

"Whoever you are and whatever your circumstances, we can promise you a warm space and a warm welcome."

Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of WNC.

Information on financial support and services for those feeling low or struggling with their mental health are also available for residents on the Cost of Living Resource Hub.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service have held a five day emergency exercise designed to test their response to a major incident.

Exercise Puddle Duck brought together a wide variety of agencies to take part in the five-day simulation based on the scenario of widespread flooding at Billing Aquadrome.

Forty-five staff from Northamptonshire Police, East Midlands Ambulance Service, the Local Resilience Forum and Emergency Planning, the Environment Agency, Northamptonshire Search and Rescue and the Rapid Relief Team took part in the exercise that was designed to improve the preparedness of the Fire Service and enhance the way that agencies work together.

The exercise, which took place in real time and came as a surprise to the participants, mimicked the flooding that took place at Billing Aquadrome in December 2020 when a major incident was declared. The exercise was planned to test the plans that have been revised to enhance response capability across the county as a result.

Station Commander for the Joint Operations Team, Nick Gayton (pictured above), said: “We have run no-notice exercises before but usually only for a period of hours. It has been massively important because it has stress tested both the operational response and also lots of other departments across the service, including our Prevention and Protection teams.

“Flooding is a known risk in the county so as a Service, we have responses to deal with that and so do our partners. Exercises like this help us to develop our multi-agency approach.

“I would like to thank all of the people who took part in the exercise and reassure the public that we work tirelessly to ensure our response is the best it can be.”

15 December 2022

Winter is upon us, with shorter days and colder weather, bringing with it the common bugs and illnesses that we see more of during this time of year.

That’s why West Northamptonshire Council has created our 'Winter Wellbeing Webpage' which brings together local advice, top tips and guidance so you have all the information you need, in one place, to stay safe and healthy over this winter period.

On this page, you will find lots of information on looking after you and those around you this winter period, from eating and sleeping well to, hand hygiene, keeping the bugs at bay and reducing falls!

We also know it is a time to reflect on the year we have had with many of us, making goals or setting achievements for the New Year – whether it be to stop smoking, moving more or improving your mental wellbeing.

So, why not look through our advice and top tips below and where needed reach out to our services to find out more or sign up for the support on offer?

Included in the easy-to-use, drop-down menus are 'Keeping Bugs at Bay,' 'How to Boost your Immunity,' 'Cost of Living Financial and Practical Support' and 'How to look after your Mental Health.'

“We know that the winter months can present some tough challenges to looking after your health and wellbeing, as viruses spread, and financial pressures increase. This combined with the fact that the festive season can be difficult and lonely time for many, meaning it’s often easy to neglect our own personal wellbeing.

“We want residents to know that they are not alone and there is a brilliant range of cost of living and mental health and wellbeing support in West Northamptonshire on offer, to help our residents through these difficult times. Often, one of the challenges is finding this support and we hope that this webpage ,where we have brought everything together in one place, will help.”

Cllr Matt Golby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold has launched a consultation on the level of council tax precept for policing and fire and rescue services in the county next year, warning that these services are under pressure from the financial challenges facing the country.

Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service  are funded by a combination of central government grants and local council tax. Around 18% of the council tax paid by households in the county comes to local police and fire services.

This year, the settlement from the government is based on the expectation that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will ask for an increase in the local council tax precept of £15 or 5.3% a year for policing and £5 a year or 7.3% for fire and rescue – both significantly below the rate of inflation.

Stephen Mold said that police and fire services would continue to be squeezed by the impact of rising prices, and even with an increase at this level, both services will need to look for savings.

“Over the past few years, we have invested in more police and firefighters and improved services  – and that comes at a cost.  Maintaining gains we have made may just be sustainable with this level of increase. While we may still have to make savings, the extent depends on the support taxpayers are prepared to give. I understand the pressures that every  household is facing and I genuinely want to know what people are prepared to pay for their emergency services,” he said.

Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service is the second lowest-funded fire service in the country.

Since transferring to the governance of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, investment from local council taxpayers and extra investment from the Government has bought stability.

Twelve new firefighters have been recruited, bringing the number to 254, and outdated equipment has been replaced. The most recent report from HMICFRS found that Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service had progressed from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ for both efficiency and effectiveness.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said that given these improvements, the impact of inflation will be particularly harsh on the county’s fire service.

“NFRS has made great progress, but the service is incredibly lean. The impact of years of under-funding have made a mark and we are only just reaching stability and able to plan.  There are small reserves to draw on, but that is not a sustainable way to operate an essential public service.

“A council tax increase of £5 or 7.3%, will not cover rising costs, but it will go some way towards helping us maintain progress. But with such a lean model, we may still have to look for further savings where we can,” Stephen said.

Northamptonshire Police

Northamptonshire Police is on target to have the most police officers it has ever had, with 1,500 by March 2023.  An additional 330 officers have been recruited over the last few years, some funded through the Government’s recruitment scheme and some through local council tax investment.

Stephen Mold said that a council tax increase in the coming year of £15 for policing would allow police officer numbers to be kept at this level and for investments that will increase efficiency to be prioritised.

“Having more police officers has enabled a new focus on neighbourhood policing and proactive policing on the crimes that really matter to people. This is what people have told me that they want from their local police.

“We have worked to be as efficient as possible, by sharing buildings and supporting staff between police and fire, for example. We’ll continue to do that where we can, but we will still face considerable pressure on our budgets next year.”

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services noted that Northamptonshire Police is “structurally underfunded”, and Stephen said he continues to lobby the Home Office to review the formula which decides how much funding each area receives.

“The funding formula is not fair across the country, so that council taxpayers in Northamptonshire pick up more of the bill for policing than residents of other counties.

“That’s not right and it puts us at a real disadvantage. I have lobbied the Home Office and our local MPs for a review of the funding formula to make it fairer for everyone, and I will continue to press for that change,” Stephen Mold said.

Consultation

“People have made their priorities for their emergency services clear to me; I now want to know what they think about the precept increase that would help these priorities to be met.”

The consultation runs until 4.30pm on January 17, 2023, and can be found at https://www.research.net/r/OPFCC2023counciltaxconsultation

Alternatively, scan the QR code below.

The Commissioner’s budget proposal will go to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel early in the new year.

13 December 2022

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has successfully been granted more than £5.4m in funding from the Government to boost the local economy over the next three years.

The funding, provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), is the largest allocation in the South East Midlands and will be used to improve people’s life chances, increase skills, create stronger communities, and support local businesses.

The Council submitted its investment plan back in September and underwent a robust consultation process which involved engaging with stakeholders to identify priority areas that would benefit most from a share of the funding.

The funding will be split between three key areas; “Communities and Place” and “People and Skills”, with the largest portion assigned to Supporting Local Businesses.

Some expected outcomes from the funding include:

• New and improved cycleways and paths, resulting in increased active travel
• Funding for volunteer and social action projects
• Measures to reduce the cost of living, improve energy efficiency, and combat fuel poverty and climate change
• Decarbonisation and improving the natural environment
• Support for new business start-ups and continued support at all stages of development
• Driving employment growth, with tailored support and training to help people into work;

An additional £1.9m has been secured as Multiply funding, which is specifically targeted at improving adult numeracy to advance people’s chances of progressing their careers.

Delivery partners are currently being invited to bid for contracts to help the council deliver these numeracy courses for residents aged 19+.

WNC has also been allocated a further £1.367m from the Government under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), which is a top-up of the UKSPF and aims to support small business and community infrastructure specifically in rural areas.

Final approval for this element of funding is expected in the New Year, with funded programmes to commence in April 2023.

"We are delighted to have received final Government approval for this funding which will help us to provide the best possible support to residents, businesses and communities in West Northamptonshire, as well as increasing opportunities, skills, development and training to those most in need.

"We have worked closely with stakeholders, community groups and local partners to analyse the greatest needs for this funding, and most importantly, to deliver economic prosperity in West Northamptonshire, making it a place where everyone will thrive."

Cllr Dan Lister, Cabinet Member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth

The UKSPF is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025 and replaces European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) funding.

See UKSPF for more information.