04 November 2025

West Northamptonshire Council is making strong progress on the demolition of the fire-damaged building on Sheep Street, Northampton, with the aim of reopening the road early in the new year at latest.

The building, formerly the Ex-Servicemen’s Club & Institute, was destroyed in a major fire on 30 March 2025, which is being treated as a suspected arson.

The blaze left the Grade II listed structure in a condemned state, spilling rubble into the street and forcing the closure of Sheep Street up to its junction with Church Lane.

Since then, we have worked closely with the charitable trust that owns the building to facilitate demolition. The process has involved careful coordination to address several challenges, including:

• Formal authorization and the timescale involved in getting the utilities disconnected safely
• Given the age of the building, licensed asbestos removal is being carried out in line with health and safety regulations
• Part of the collapsed structure fell onto a BT Openreach cabinet, severing internet and phone services to many nearby properties, and rubble has to be meticulously removed allowing engineers to safely access and repair the cabinet

Whilst we will cover the cost of the work, a charge on the land will enable us to recover costs associated with the demolition and clearance.

Cllr Richard Butler, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport, said: “We understand how disruptive the closure of Sheep Street has been for residents and businesses, and we’re doing everything we can to get it reopened as soon as possible.

“Our teams are working closely with the demolition crew to move swiftly and safely, and we’re optimistic that the road will be back in use not far into the new year.

“While unforeseen complications can always arise with a site like this, we’re committed to keeping the community informed and making steady progress.”

Efforts have also been made to preserve any historically significant elements of the building, though early assessments suggest little remains that can be salvaged.

We will continue to provide updates as the project advances.

04 November 2025

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is taking urgent action to tackle a major shortfall in its budget next year, with Cabinet members and senior officers already identifying £20 million in savings and efficiencies

At the start of the detailed budget setting round, the Council was forecasting a £50m gap in its revenue budget for 2026-27 – the money it spends on the day-to-day running of services. This is due to its level of funding not keeping  pace with its growing population and the continued rise in demand for services supporting the most vulnerable residents, such as children’s and adults social care, temporary housing for homelessness and SEND school transport.

To confront the challenge head-on and shape a balanced draft budget, the Council has held rigorous budget scrutiny sessions —known as Star Chambers — between Cabinet Members and senior managers. These sessions have intensely reviewed spending across all services, ensuring every opportunity to reduce costs is explored.

The sessions have so far identified around £16m of efficiencies and savings that can be made whilst continuing to protect frontline services as far as possible, plus an additional £4m of savings from the pension fund for 2026/27.

Councillor Mark Arnull, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, said the sessions were a strong start to tackling the authority’s funding pressures next year, but difficult choices would still be needed in the months ahead.

Closing such a significant funding gap in next year’s budget is a huge task but we’re firmly focused on achieving this and have made an encouraging start.

The £20m of savings and efficiencies we have identified so far through the recent Star Chambers sessions reflects the close and effective working between our administration and senior officers in leaving no stone unturned to tackle our financial pressures.

All services across the Council have been set targets to reduce their spend for the year ahead and staff are rising to the challenge. Alongside our work with staff to identify savings and efficiencies we will also be looking at other things, such as how we can be more consistent in our approach to fees and charges for discretionary services.

Councillor Mark Arnull, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

We know this is our Council’s most difficult budget yet and we need to be realistic that this work alone may not be enough to balance the books. We also face uncertainty as we continue to await the outcome of the Government’s Fair Funding consultation, which will give us more clarity on the future funding we will receive.

We are hopeful that the Fairer Funding will recognise that we have faced twice the national increase in population since 2014, when the grant formulas were last reviewed, even higher increases in the over 65s and pockets of high deprivation. There is a direct link between these statistics and our demand, and we hope that the final allocations reflect this."

In the meantime we will continue to drive forward our work within the Council to find whatever we can to bridge the funding gap whilst ensuring we keep essential services protected for our residents.

Cllr John Slope, Cabinet Member for Finance at West Northamptonshire Council

WNC will present its draft budget proposals for 2026-27 at its Cabinet meeting on Monday, 22 December, which will then be followed by a six-week public consultation. Feedback will then go into the final budget proposals presented to Cabinet in February followed by Full Council for final approval.

To find out more about the Council’s schedule of meetings, visit WNC website .

04 November 2025

As temperatures drop, residents are invited to take part in a simple act of kindness that could make a big difference to someone in need. 

Coat racks have been set up across West Northamptonshire to support anyone who may be struggling to stay warm this winter. If you or someone you know needs a coat, you can visit one of the council’s main buildings and help yourself. 

Residents can donate or collect a coat at any of the following locations: 

• One Angel Square, Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED
• The Forum, Moat Lane, Towcester, NN12 6AD
• Abbey Centre, St John's Square, Daventry, NN11 4XG 

If you’d like to donate, simply hang your coat on the coat rack near the reception area at any of the above buildings. Please ensure coats are clean, in good condition, and suitable for men, women, or children. 

From puffers to parkas, duffels to down jackets, every donation will help keep someone warm this winter. 

This is a small but powerful way our communities can support one another. 

For many of us, an old coat hanging in the wardrobe might not mean much, but for someone facing a tough winter, it can make all the difference.

It’s these everyday acts of kindness that show the real strength and warmth of our community.

Cllr Andrew Last, Cabinet Member for Corporate Service, HR and Regulatory Services

04 November 2025

The UK Chief Veterinary Officer has ordered a mandatory housing order to cover the whole of England from 0001 on Thursday 6^, November 2025, following the escalating number of confirmations of avian influenza in kept and wild birds.

The new measures mean bird keepers across the whole of England must house all poultry and captive birds if they keep more than 50 or if they sell or give eggs away.

A GB wide Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ) is already in place and requires all keepers whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock to undertake enhanced biosecurity measures to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease.

Bird keepers must continue to follow the strict biosecurity measures, including:

• Cleaning and disinfecting footwear and equipment
• Minimising movement in and out of bird enclosures
• Monitoring birds for signs of disease

The risk to public health remains low, and properly cooked poultry and eggs are safe to eat. However anyone who suspects a case within the area or finds a dead bird is advised to report this to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The full details can be found on the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.

03 November 2025

Councillors will meet next week to consider the final steps for settling the construction costs of redeveloping Northampton’s historic Market Square.

West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet will discuss a report recommending a commercial settlement with contractor Stepnell Ltd which carried out the work during 2023 and 2024 to transform the square into a vibrant public space for markets and events.

Since reopening in October last year, the new-look Market Square has revitalised the heart of Northampton town centre, with events and activities significantly stepped up this summer including Northamptonshire Day, the town’s Great Fire 350th anniversary and international events like the Women’s Rugby World Cup Fan Zones. Its use as an events venue has been key in seeing a recent rise in town centre footfall, with the world cup fan zones alone attracting over 10,000 people in August and September. Plans are now underway to bring even more events into the square, with a range of Christmas activities and ice rink already lined up from next month.

The Council has also seen a significant increase in investment from the private sector into the town as direct result of the Market Square improvements – with the scale and quality of the works as providing the necessary confidence for companies such as STACK to choose Northampton as their largest new operation in the UK.

The budget for redeveloping the Market Square is presently £12.518m, with the majority of the project funded through an £8.4million grant from the Government’s Future High Streets Fund, and £4 million though the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) – this is a charge the Council levies on developers to help it fund infrastructure schemes.

At their meeting next week (11 November), Cabinet members will consider whether to enter a settlement agreement with Stepnell over the final construction costs of the scheme and whether to increase the budget by £1million of capital funding, to cover all additional costs of the project, including the negotiated and confidential settlement.

Negotiations and mediation between the Council and Stepnell have been taking place since August and if a settlement is not reached, adjudication proceedings would continue, potentially costing more money for taxpayers.

Cabinet members will also meet to consider lessons learned from the complex project, which during its construction faced a series of unexpected risks and delays including significant archaeological finds, collapsed Victorian sewers and having to divert more underground utilities than previously anticipated.

We know this wasn’t the outcome anyone wanted. We’re taking responsibility and learning from it. Our approach to construction contracts, risk and procurement needs tightening, and we’re already reviewing those processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.

That said, the new Market Square is already transforming the heart of Northampton. It’s busy, it’s vibrant, and it’s drawing people back into the town. Events are bringing thousands of visitors, boosting trade and breathing life into local businesses.

West Northamptonshire taxpayers are seeing a return on their investment, and private confidence is up because of it. Settling this now lets us draw a line under a complicated build and focus fully on the benefits the space is already delivering for our community.

Councillor James Petter, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture and Leisure

Cabinet will consider the report at its meeting on 11 November at 6pm in The Forum, Towcester. The agenda and reports are available on the WNC website.