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08 April 2024
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) lead in managing local flood risks, this includes risks of flooding from surface water, groundwater and ordinary (smaller) watercourses.
Under the Flood and Water Management Act 2010, WNC is required to develop, apply, and monitor a Local Flood Risk Management Strategy which sets out how it intends to manage floods and the effect of flooding on our area. The Strategy will focus on local flood risk from surface water, groundwater, and watercourses including rivers, streams and brooks, culverts and ditches and sets out the way the Council manage flood risks for the next six years.
People across West Northamptonshire are being invited to share their views during this non-statutory consultation which will help shape the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy during the early stages of its development.
This is a consultation on the draft strategic objectives for the Local Flood Risk Management Strategy. It is open for people to share their views from Monday 8 April to Sunday 16 June. To view the draft strategic objectives and provide your feedback visit: https://westnorthants.citizenspace.com/cet/local-flood-risk-management-strategy
"Flood risk is changing as changes in our climate contribute towards increased rainfall. In addition, pressures such as population growth and new development across the area means we must adapt to future flood risks. Planning to manage flood risk is more important than ever and the Strategy seeks to consider local issues, including environmental and planning challenges to ensure we’re able to strategically manage flood risk across the area.Cllr Pinder Chauhan, Assistant Cabinet Member for Flooding at WNC“In order for us to shape the Strategy we would like to understand the public’s main issues and concerns in relation to flooding across West Northamptonshire to ensure we are focusing on the right themes to manage flood risk in the future. I would also encourage everyone to review the draft strategic objectives and have their say as part of the consultation.”
WNC’s current Northamptonshire Strategy requires updating as a result of environmental and governmental changes, in addition to West Northamptonshire Council now operating as a unitary body. The feedback collated from the consultation will help to shape the Strategy during the early stages of its development. A statutory public consultation will take place once the draft Strategy has been developed, which will give you another opportunity to have your say. The Strategy will then be presented to cabinet for consideration and adoption.
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02 April 2024
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is exploring options to address the growing need for temporary accommodation in the local area.
This month, officers from WNC attended Milton Keynes to view 70 new modular homes and assess if this form of temporary accommodation would be suitable in West Northamptonshire.
The three-storey modular homes two-bedroom units act as a practical alternative to providing B&B stays to local families and individuals in urgent need of somewhere to stay.
Each residential unit is equipped with furniture and contains a living/kitchen/dining space, a double-bedded room, a single/bunk bedroom and a shower room with WC and sink.
The units are intended for families to live in for up to 12 months during which time they would have access to support services including opportunities for training and work.
“Across the country we are seeing demand for temporary accommodation rocket due to cost of living increases and a lack of affordable housing.Cllr Adam Brown, Deputy Leader of WNC and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure.“As a result, local authorities are having to source emergency temporary accommodation such as B&Bs and hotels for an unprecedented number of people, which is expensive for councils and taxpayers.
“Modular housing can be a cost-efficient alternative and would enable us to support families while they get back on their feet and help them to find more permanent accommodation.
“The council is actively exploring options to ensure we’re able to meet the safety and support needs of our vulnerable residents and address the growing demand for homes in West Northamptonshire.”
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02 April 2024
Vulcan Works, which offers office space, coworking opportunities and business support from its base in Northampton’s Cultural Quarter, is a finalist in two categories of the SME Northamptonshire Business Awards which recognise industrious, hardworking and enterprising small and medium sized businesses.
The centre is up for the Business Innovation Award, which celebrates companies doing something new, different, smarter or better that will make a positive difference, and also shortlisted for the Positive Impact Award, which is looking for those who are innovating and adapting their business to not only thrive but benefit the wider community.
In the 12 months since it opened, the Vulcan Works team has supported countless startups and small businesses through workspace provision, events, workshops and partnerships with other organisation, including Barclays Bank.
“We are absolutely delighted that Vulcan Works has been shortlisted for these awards and we are very proud of all that we have achieved in just a year.Garrick Hurter, Centre Manager at Vulcan Works.“Vulcan Works has quickly established itself as a key part of the Northamptonshire business community and our customers, partners and local business support organisations have made the centre the thriving, bustling, exciting hub that we hoped it would be.”
“It is fantastic news that Vulcan Works has been shortlisted for two categories at the prestigious Northamptonshire SME awards. This truly reflects the hard work of all those involved in bringing this project to life, and all the continued dedication of our partners at Oxford Innovation to provide innovative business support to local SMEs.”Cllr Dan Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth
The SME Northamptonshire Business Awards take place on Thursday 2nd May at the Mercure Daventry Court Hotel.
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Fire, Police and Ambulance services in Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties joined forces last week to test their joint response to a terrorist and chemical attack during a multi-agency training exercise at Silverstone circuit.
Exercise Callicarpa, one of the largest training exercises of its kind in recent years, allowed the emergency services to test their strategic and tactical responses, as well as evaluating how well they communicate with each other at largescale major incidents.
The first phase of the exercise tested the response to a marauding terrorist attack. This saw Northamptonshire Police – supported by Counter Terrorist Policing East Midlands (CPTEM) – deliver a realistic scenario where firearms officers responded to an attack on foot with multiple casualties.
Once the area had been declared safe, Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service and East Midlands Ambulance Service were able to start initial casualty management, with student volunteers from Moulton College playing injured members of the public requiring treatment.
The final phase of the exercise replicated a Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) incident involving an unknown chemical substance. This tested how Fire, Police and EMAS were able to neutralise the threat safely and decontaminate both members of the public as well as their own staff on-site.
A number of fire engines from Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service were on scene, as well as appliances from neighbouring Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire and the Detection, Identification and Monitoring unit from Leicestershire, the latter of which would help to detect what the chemical substance was.
The event also allowed Northamptonshire crews the opportunity to test the deployment of the Mass Decontamination Unit, which can process up to 300 casualties in an hour and contains a de-robe section, showers and a re-robe section for contaminated members of the public.
Group Commander Rob Green, of Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service, said: “Thankfully the likelihood of such an event happening in real life is small, but training exercises such as this help us learn how we can support each other, share any risks or situational awareness and then deploy the right resources appropriately. I’d like to thank Silverstone circuit for allowing us to use their facilities in order to help us do that.
“This exercise has allowed us to have a better understanding of how we can work together to resolve incidents on this scale and keep people safe.”
Superintendent Jen Helm, of Northamptonshire Police, said: “Over the last few years policing has evolved in how we respond to these kinds of incidents, particularly after the findings of various inquests such as the Manchester Arena Inquiry.
“These events in real life are rare, but when they happen, they are complex and dynamic with lots of moving parts. No agency can resolve them alone. Exercises like Callicarpa help us learn how to maximise opportunities to tackle the threat and reduce harm to everyone.
“Replicating something on this scale probably hasn’t happened within the county for quite a long time, and it’s given us a real opportunity to identify how the respective emergency services work well together, what the gaps are, and where we can better improve things such as communications and understanding capabilities.”
Alex Lacey, Chief Operating Officer, Silverstone, added: “We’re very pleased to have been able to support the agencies for Exercise Callicarpa by providing an appropriate environment and infrastructure to deliver this large-scale training event.
“The exercise has not only been invaluable to the many services involved, but also important for our venue, which along with a calendar of sport, entertainment and business events, holds the largest sporting event in the UK, hosting the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.”
If you have any information about activity or behaviour that doesn’t feel right, please report it to Counter Terrorism Policing. You can either fill in a secure online form at www.gov.uk/ACT or call 0800 789 321.
In an emergency you should always dial 999.
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27 March 2024
The JCB Pothole Pro, an innovative machine which cuts time and costs for road repairs, has completed repairs at over 12,500 m2 worth of road since its roll out in August 2023.
West Northamptonshire Council’s long-term vision to improve the road network across the area has seen the Council invest into purchasing the machinery to enable high-quality works to be completed quickly and efficiently.
Over the 152 days that the JCB pothole pro has been out across the road network, it has carried out works in 33 locations across West Northamptonshire.
The JCB Pothole Pro machine is a new and exciting piece of technology acquired by West Northamptonshire Council, and is set to carry out road defect repairs four times faster than standard methods – while providing a quality solution. The Pothole Pro enables WNC’s highways partner Kier to carry out an improved repair service allowing them to cut the defect, crop the edges and clean the area with one machine before it is filled.
“The Council's investment into this innovative technology will help to achieve the Council’s strategy to deliver prompt and lasting pothole repairs. This offers us a new and innovative way to improve the speed with which we can address road surface issues and we look forward to seeing the further impact this makes across West Northamptonshire.”Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways & Waste at West Northamptonshire Council
“We welcome West Northamptonshire Council’s investment in the JCB Pothole Pro. This innovative pothole repair solution allows road network improvements to be carried out safely and efficiently - while creating less disruption for the general public and providing greater flexibility to best deploy our resources. We are continually assessing its capabilities, ensuring we achieve the most efficient output in each location. This is another positive step in our efforts to provide a quality, value for money service in the communities we work.”Peter Ingram, Contract Director at Kier Transportation
The pothole pro was initially planned to use up to nine tonnes of tarmac a day. Following use across the network it has been able to use up to 16 tonnes a day. The Council and Kier have also identified areas where it can have the biggest impact. In 2024, we are committed to using the machinery alongside new equipment to deliver sustainable long-term repairs across the area.
To find out more about Highway services across West Northamptonshire, including how to report road defects, visit: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport
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