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15 January 2024
Candidates have been announced today for a by-election due to take place in an area of Northampton next month.
People living in West Northamptonshire Council’s East Hunsbury and Shelfleys electoral ward will be able to go to the polls on Thursday, 8 February to vote for a new councillor to represent their area. The election was prompted by a vacancy following the resignation of former WNC councillor Suresh Patel.
Elections information published today sets out who has been nominated to stand for the election, along with the location of polling stations in the electoral ward, which covers areas including Shelfleys, Merefield and Blacky More.
The candidates are:
- Clare Robertson-Marriott (Labour and Cooperative Party)
- Daniel Soan (Conservative Party)
- Carl Neville Mark Squires (Liberal Democrats)
More information can be found on the Statement of Persons Nominated document on our Elections pages
Voting information
Residents in the ward who are not already registered to vote have until Tuesday, 23 January 2024 to do so. You can register to vote on the gov.uk website
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Thursday, 24 January.
Those wishing to apply for a proxy vote (when someone votes on your behalf) must submit their applications by 5pm on Wednesday, 31 January.
Voter ID
The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to produce accepted photographic identification when voting in person at a polling station. This new requirement will apply to this election.
Electors intending to vote in person are urged to ensure they have one of the acceptable forms of photo ID prior to attending their polling station.
Residents without an acceptable form of ID have until 5pm on Wednesday, 31 January to apply for their Voter ID.
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16 January 2024
Residents, businesses and community groups are invited to share their views on the draft Brackley, Daventry, and Towcester Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).
These plans, open for public consultation from today, Monday, 15 January to Sunday, 25 February aim to create a culture of walking and cycling by proposing infrastructure developments that make active travel a natural choice for residents and visitors.
The initiative aligns with the government's ambition to promote cycling and walking for shorter journeys, reducing traffic congestion, enhancing air quality, and contributing to the overall well-being of the community.
The draft LCWIPs for Brackley, Daventry, and Towcester represent our commitment to building a sustainable and connected future. We believe that by investing in walking and cycling infrastructure, we can create vibrant, healthier communities while contributing to broader environmental goals.Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for environment, transport, highways and waste at West Northamptonshire CouncilYour views are crucial in shaping the future of sustainable transportation in our communities and will be shaping the final plans and ensuring they align with the needs and aspirations of our residents. We want to hear from you, so please take a moment to share your thoughts on the proposals.
The LCWIPs, currently in the early stages of development, provide a glimpse into potential schemes that, over time, will create comprehensive walking and cycling networks. The focus on Brackley, Daventry, and Towcester demonstrates the commitment to local communities, with plans for Northampton set to be consulted on later this year.
Key objectives of having LCWIPs for Brackley, Towcester, and Daventry include:
Securing Funding: The plans position the council strategically to secure additional funding for walking and cycling schemes, ensuring the best value for money by concentrating efforts where the highest increases in walking and cycling are anticipated.
Collaborative Partnerships: The council aims to work collaboratively with partners such as National Highways, Network Rail, and other stakeholders, including developers, who have access to alternative funding sources.
To view the draft plans and share your thoughts, visit the dedicated consultation pages on our Consultation Hub:
Brackley Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan Consultation
Daventry Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan Consultation
Towcester Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan Consultation
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11 January 2024
An expansion of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas headquarters has been given the go ahead by West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Strategic Planning Committee at their meeting on Tuesday (9 January), anticipating millions of pounds of economic investment and over 500 multiple skill set jobs in Brackley.
The site, located on St James Road, is currently the headquarters for the Mercedes Formula one team and is where the cars are designed and constructed with engineering work being carried out through their Applied Science engineering capability, which conducts engineering design for external clients. These projects include the design of the next British Challenger for the Americas Cup.
A key aim of the planning application is to create a parkland campus setting, which will result in the removal of much of the car parking that dominates the site and replace it with trees and landscaping to create a site appropriate for a Formula 1 headquarters.
The plans propose to remove the existing car park and replace with a single deck car park featuring an under croft and a surface level car park, together with vehicular access to the Mercedes site from Lauda Drive and St James Road. In addition, there will be a covered walkway, refurbished bridge, new pedestrian and cycle bridge, cycle hub and parking spaces with solar panels.
The refurbishment will also see the introduction of a three-storey marketing centre and health and wellbeing hub complete with restaurant, gym, yoga space and other facilities for Mercedes employees.
Mercedes has plans to expand its operations on site which could include further diversification away from Formula one and involve expanding the workforce from 1400 to 1900 people over the next five years. The company also has ambitious sustainability objectives to become Net Zero by 2030.
Following extensive consultation with local businesses, the proposals also include works to mitigate the impact of traffic flow in the area by widening Oxford Road and lengthening the right turn lane into St James Road to accommodate an additional 2 cars. Double yellow lines along the northern side of the St James Road and around the turning head will be extended to mitigate unsafe parking and make the area safer for road users.
In addition, alterations will be made to the Oxford Road/Lauda Drive roundabout to provide an additional lane and improvements will be made to the cycle route along Oxford Road.
I am delighted that Mercedes has chosen to invest and expand its world-famous motorsport engineering in West Northamptonshire. The site is located in an area which is known for motorsport given the proximity of the Silverstone circuit and our location within Motorsport Valley. This is an area of national significance in the high-tech innovation and high-performance engineering sectors.Cllr Daniel Lister, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and GrowthThese plans promise fantastic opportunities for economic growth and inward investment in Brackley and support our strive to be a leader in driving innovation while supporting business growth and building a strong, responsive and thriving local economy.
This development is likely to generate around 500 new full-time jobs with a predicted expenditure of approximately £70m which would further feed into the local economy and create additional full time jobs during construction. Our Economic Growth & Inward Investment Team have been working closely with Mercedes to deliver impactful benefits to the local labour market, including local recruitment, school engagement and more.
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11 January 2024
Residents, businesses and community groups in West Northants have until midnight on Tuesday, 23 January to share their views on the draft budget proposals for 2024/25.
At the Cabinet meeting held on Tuesday, 12 December 2023 members approved for consultation its draft budget for 2024-25 and launched a six-week consultation seeking people’s views on a range of saving and efficiency proposals which will allow the West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) to balance its books, while protecting the most vulnerable in our community and tackling the rise in costs and demand for services.
People can have their say on the budget proposals by completing the survey on our Consultation Hub. The survey can be accessed online for free at libraries across West Northants, or you can request a copy in another format by emailing [email protected] or phoning 0300 126 7000.
We have worked hard to shape a robust, balanced draft budget that prioritises our resources to support our most vulnerable residents and protect frontline services in the most cost-effective way possible.Cllr Malcolm Longley, Cabinet Member for Finance at West Northamptonshire CouncilYour feedback is very important to us, as it empowers us to make informed decisions and drive positive changes in our communities. So, please take the time to tell us what you think. You don’t have to answer all of the questions or provide feedback on every section, you can choose to focus on the areas that are most important to you.
The budget proposals for next year are made up of a £409.2m net revenue budget (excluding grant-funded schools' expenditure of £451m) and also include £25.7m of efficiencies through planned improvements in productivity and additional income generation.
To help WNC balance the books whilst continuing to protect services during its fourth year as a unitary authority, the draft budget proposals include:
- Increasing fees and charges broadly in line with inflation, to ensure they continue to properly reflect today’s operating costs.
- Proposing to raise Council Tax by 4.99% This increase equates to an average rise of £1.63 a week on a Band D property.
- Continuing to review services and restructure teams within the organisation, introducing new, more efficient ways of working to make back-office savings without impacting on how services are delivered to residents.
During 2024/25 the Council also plans to invest a total of almost £143m in its capital programme, to improve local infrastructure and assets such as land, buildings and equipment.
It is also set to spend an estimated £20m in public health funding from the Government in the year ahead to progress a range of schemes aimed at improving residents’ wellbeing, reducing health inequalities and continuing to support communities through the ongoing cost of living challenges.
Within the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) there are plans to invest £54m of capital funds in social housing during the next financial year, which forms part of a total five-year capital programme which amounts to £279m. Also built into the plans is investment in decarbonisation which is estimated to impact on 500 homes.
The capital investment in 2024-25 includes:
- £7m on external improvements
- £11m on internal works improvements
- £2.3m on disabled adaptations
- £24m on new build programmes and major projects; and
- £10m on buying back social housing and for spot purchases of suitable properties.
In addition to this the Council will spend approximately £65m on managing and maintaining the existing housing stock which is funded primarily by Housing Rents received from current tenants.
To ensure this can be achieved, the draft budget proposals include an increase in rents in our rented housing of 7.7% in line with the Government’s amended Rent Standard.
Cabinet will consider the final budget for 2024/25 on Tuesday, 13 February 2024 for recommendation to the full Council meeting on Thursday, 22 February 2024; subject to any changes made following consideration of the consultation feedback, the Local Government financial settlement and the latest financial position.
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Fire crews at Rushden have been continuing to carry out engagement work in their local community.
Earlier today (January 10), firefighters from the station visited the Wat Pa Buddharam Buddhist temple in Irchester to carry out a Fire Safety Visit.
Crews from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service will regularly carry out Fire Safety Visits not just at domestic properties for residents, but with community groups and organisations to help increase safety awareness.
During the visit, the crew handed out fire safety advice and also familiarised themselves with the building so they can react quickly and efficiently should they ever be called to an emergency incident there.
While at the temple, they also took some time out to speak to the Temple’s leaders and learn more about the Buddhist culture.
The Rushden crew regularly pay visits to local community groups, and in November were recognised for the community work carried out within their local area at the annual Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service awards ceremony.