- Details
14 October 2022
With cases of avian flu on the rise our Trading Standards Team are urging everyone who keeps poultry or captive birds to register with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
It is compulsory for anyone who keeps 50 or more birds to register their flock, however anyone with fewer than 50 can voluntarily register.
Registration will ensure keepers are kept up to date with the latest developments, locally and nationally, and will help them protect their flocks quickly, should there be a disease outbreak.
For all the latest information in relation to the spread of Avian Flu, including the housing measures which have now been brought in for Norfolk, Suffolk and parts of Essex, and also for information on how you can help to protect your birds please see this guidance on Avian influenza (bird flu).
- Details
13 October 2022
Financial support to help with rising costs of food and fuel over the winter months is set to be available to eligible residents across West Northamptonshire.
In line with the council’s Anti-Poverty Strategy, families with school children receiving free school meals, working people subject to low wages, and residents facing monetary hardship, will benefit from just under £2.6m in economic support until March 2023.
Working closely with neighbourhood voluntary organisations and operating via an on-line application process, West Northamptonshire Council will reach out to approximately 17,620 households to distribute £2,599,628, the third tranche of the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) Household Support Fund.
At Tuesday's Cabinet Meeting (11 October) Councillors agreed how to best use the fund within the scope set out by government ministers. Previous funding has supported eligible households with food, energy and water costs. This extension will ensure that support continues through the winter months to the end of March to those who need it most.
In a bid to offset recent further increases in food and fuel costs, the fund offers families eligible for free school meals £15 per week school vouchers during the half term and other school holidays until March 2023. It also offers eligible households with a person working, but receiving a low wage, up to £200 in food vouchers. In addition to this, up to a further 2,000 households will receive food or fuel vouchers, cash in the bank or money to cover related essential household costs. This will get to them via voluntary organisations working on the ground in community engagement and foodbanks.
The exact proposed allocation of the Household Support Fund (3) is as follows:
- School Holiday Food Support Scheme - 11,200 families to receive a total of £1008,000. £15 x 6 weeks of planned school holidays (October 22 – April 23). This will cover the holiday period for children on school meals, providing additional household income which can be offset against normal household bills. West Northamptonshire Council has already announced funding for school meals available during the October half term break.
- Residents working but receiving a low wage - 4,420 households to receive a total of £884,000 and receive an average payment of £200 into their bank accounts towards fuel and food.
- £ 650,000 Community engagement fund, foodbanks and emergency funding - Operated through a Voluntary Community Services Enterprise (VCSE) and distributed through the voluntary sector. Local community groups to distribute, via voluntary organisations, up to £250 per household as assessed on a case-by-case basis. Food or fuel vouchers, cash to bank accounts or practical products via third party for up to 2,000 households.
“Our vision continues to be for a West Northamptonshire, where everyone can live their best life, prosperous and fulfilling, free from poverty and inequality.Matt Golby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health“The distribution of this third tranche of the Household Support Fund is directed to primarily funding the lower income sector of the working community, and families with children. This is closely aligned to the areas of deprivation within the region, thus ensuring that the communities living in areas of highest poverty are prioritised.
“The distribution of these funds will meet the wider communities’ financial needs, where other grants and funding are not available. It provides real benefit to underpin the West Northamptonshire Anti-Poverty Strategy and ensure residents most in need receive support.
“We are building on the successful Household Support Fund (2) partnership with the VCSE in distributing funds via the downstream voluntary organisations to residents that may not otherwise be identified through the benefits system.
“We know the pressures many are currently facing, which is why it is proposed that this fund targets support to these most vulnerable households across the county.”
Details of how to access the available funds will be publicised in the coming weeks.
WNC's website will be used for applications from the sector who are working but remain on a low salary. Individuals will be able to apply for further financial relief through an online application process. Details of eligibility terms and how to apply will be released soon.
- Details
13 October 2022
An online one-stop booking service for civil wedding ceremonies is now available to residents across West Northamptonshire.
The facility, developed by both West and North Northamptonshire Councils, will mean that marriage ceremonies, civil partnerships, and marriage registrations can be booked online via the easy-to-use weblink.
The new streamlined system is simple and seamless and removes the need for manual cross checking and communication between council staff and customers, which can take considerable time. The online booking service is instant.
Customers will need to register an account which will require an email address and a password of choice. They will then be able to check available ceremony dates and instantly book a time that suits. If they choose to, they can also submit their bespoke wedding vows, music and readings of choice and requests for any specific requirements.
Cllr Mike Hallam, Cabinet Member for HR & Corporate Services at West Northamptonshire Council, said:
“Like many face to face services in recent years, the Registration Service and the arrangements for weddings have been particularly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This change to the service will make it easier for everyone to book or change wedding arrangements. It will also cut down significantly the time taken to book a wedding and help those who want to do so out of working hours.
"We provide for the needs of all at the council and rest assured, a service will still be offered to those who do not have access to digital devices.”
To access the service and register an account please visit.
- Details
11 October 2022
The owner of a property in Wheatfield Road, Northampton has paid a £2,750 civil penalty after failing to licence their home in multiple occupation (HMO).
In December 2021 officers from West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) Private Sector Housing Team visited the property following complaints from the public.
The inspection identified that the three-bedroom property was being occupied by four people from two separate households. This made the property a licensable HMO under the Council’s Additional Licensing regime.
Cllr Adam Brown Cabinet Member for housing, culture and leisure said: “People in Northampton are rightly angry about landlords willing to circumvent the rules which are there to protect their tenants and provide good living standards.
"This demonstrates that we will investigate reports of unlicensed HMO’s when people contact us, and that when the evidence is there, we will take a firm stance against those who operate HMOs without the appropriate licence.
"Property investment is a key legitimate part of our economy, but landlords must recognise that when they invest in homes for people to live in, they are becoming part of a community."
The inspection also identified offences under the Management of Houses in Multiple Occupation (England) Regulations 2006. The offences relating to the provision of information regarding the landlord or properties, maintenance of means of escape from fire, and maintenance of common parts of the property.
For more information, visit the WNC webpage on HMOs.
In June WNC launched a review of HMOs in Northampton which has seen the council engage with stakeholders to analyse current policies concerning HMOs while also identifying ways to apply best practice from elsewhere in the country.
- Details
11 October 2022
Over 25,000 vulnerable households in West Northants have already received support from the second phase of the Government’s Household Support Fund (HSF) to help with the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Between July and September 2022, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) issued 11,296 school meal vouchers, totalling £1.4million, to parents covering the six-week summer break.
Over 10,000 of these vouchers were activated and used by the end of the school holidays resulting in an activation rate of almost 90% - the best recorded result yet for this scheme locally.
The Council has just announced that further funding will be allocated for school meal vouchers for the upcoming October half term break.
In addition to the school vouchers, 6,251 Post Office cash vouchers for the amount of £100 were issued to residents who were in receipt of Pension Credit. Where residents were unable to get to a Post Office branch, supermarket vouchers were provided instead.
An additional 1,030 vouchers for the amount of £100 were issued to residents who receive Pension Credit and are also registered as disabled.
Households experiencing severe food and energy poverty also received a share of the HSF money. WNC and Northamptonshire Community Foundation (NCF) worked with over 30 voluntary agencies, local charities and support groups to reach out to known vulnerable households, the homeless and those using food banks regularly.
A total of 7,464 vouchers were issued by these voluntary organisations, with almost half of the recipients being households with children and a large proportion of recipients being single persons.
A donation of £20,000 has also been made to local food banks and separate donation to Age UK to support the elderly throughout the winter months.
Cllr Matt Golby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health, said:
“We recognise that we are living in extremely challenging times and the cost-of-living situation is causing severe financial difficulties for many households in the county.
“The Household Support Fund has been a real lifeline for so many people in West Northants - especially those who are struggling to pay household bills or buy food, and I am pleased it has been extended once again so that we can help even more residents.
“There has been an immense collective response from partners, voluntary organisations, community groups and residents who have supported the most vulnerable individuals in our communities at a time when they have needed it the most. The engagement and dedication from everyone involved has been truly inspiring and I would like to thank everyone who has pulled together to support their local communities and help those in need.
“We are continuing to look at the best options for ensuring that the next phase of this funding goes to those in our community who need the support most and once finalised, will ensure residents know how to access this extra support.”
For more information on the full range of support available, visit Cost of Living Support.
