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30 November 2023
With the festive season fast approaching, we are advising residents of the arrangements for waste and recycling collections over the Christmas and New Year period.
Waste and recycling collection crews will be working throughout the festive season to make sure services are delivered on time and with no delays.
You can keep on top of bin collections throughout the year by downloading the West Northamptonshire Council app from Google Play or the Apple App Store
You can also download a bin calendar with information about waste and recycling arrangements for your area
Collection day changes
Due to the public holidays, some properties will have a change in the day of their collections over the festive period.
- Daventry area collections due to take place on Monday 25 December will instead take place on Saturday 23 December, while collections due on Tuesday 26 December will take place on Sunday 24 December. Collections due on Monday 1 January will take place on Saturday 30 December. All other collections will take place on their normal days.
- Northampton area collections due on Monday 25 December will instead take place on Saturday 30 December. All other collections will take place on their normal days.
- South Northamptonshire area collections due on Tuesday 26 December, will instead take place on Saturday 23 December. All other collections will take place on their normal days.
Garden waste
Those subscribed to the service are advised there will be a short break in collections from 23 December until 5 January.
Real tree collections
Crews will collect real Christmas trees between 8 and 19 January. You do not need a garden waste subscription to take advantage of this.
Residents in the Daventry and South Northants areas should put real Christmas trees out on the day garden waste is due to be collected in their area.
In the Northampton area trees should be put out next to recycling bins, while those on sack collections can present trees beside their recycling boxes on their collection day.
Please ensure trees over 6ft tall are cut in half so they fit in the lorries safely. They can also be taken to your nearest Household Waste Recycling Centre
Food waste
Food waste bins will continue to be collected on their usual weekly schedule. Please remember you can recycle leftover raw and cooked foods, including veg peelings, egg shells, out-of-date food, plate scrapings, solid fats, meat and fish bones. Do not put any liquids in the caddy.
Household Waste Recycling Centres
These are open as usual throughout the festive period except for Christmas Day, Boxing Day, and New Year’s Day, when they will be closed. Centres will also close early on Christmas Eve, at 2pm.
Additional recycling
If you have more recycling than your bin can handle, you can put it in clear plastic bags or boxes and present it alongside your recycling bins or boxes. You can also take this to your nearest HWRC.
Find out more
Find more information about collections together with top tips for reducing your waste and making the most of your recycling service this Christmas
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05 December 2023
The regeneration of Northampton Town Centre has taken an exciting step forward as West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) launches the first stage of engagement and ask the community to help shape the future of and revamp the vacant Greyfriars site.
The area includes the former bus station site, East and West Island, Mayorhold Multistorey Car Park, Belgrave House, Corn Exchange and Victoria Street Car Park.
Residents, visitors, businesses, and community organisations are being asked to provide their ideas for the future of this area and celebrate the heritage of the site through sharing their memories of Greyfriars from years gone by.
The online engagement launched on Tuesday, 5 December and will run through until Sunday, 7 January. Visit ampnorthampton.com to view the emerging vision to amplify the area and have your say.
Greyfriars is the largest brownfield opportunity within West Northamptonshire and represents a significant opportunity to deliver transformative change for the town. The site boasts a prime location at the heart of town, next to the ongoing transformation of the historic Market Square and redevelopment of the former Marks and Spencer’s and BHS units. The central location provides a unique opportunity to transform this part of the town centre and have a positive impact on the wider area.
WNC is working with consultation experts, Deetu and architects, Studio Egret West, to develop the engagement and proposed plans for the future scheme. The emerging vision includes new high-quality homes offering multi-generational living, dedicated community space, a new park as well as exploring where commercial and leisure uses could be developed. A core element of the proposals is to improve connectivity within the surrounding area and provide enhanced walking and cycling.
This is an exciting step to transform the Greyfriars Bus site as we launch the first stage of our engagement and work with our community to develop a vision and plans to amplify this area.Cllr Dan Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth at WNCThe project has the opportunity to deliver a change for the area, increasing footfall to support local businesses, attract new inward investment and create a place where all can be proud of. We look forward to working with our residents and businesses to bring them along this journey with us.
The initial feedback collated from the first stage of engagement will be considered by WNC and a highly experienced multi-disciplinary team of architects, transport, and commercial experts, to develop a vision by spring 2024 and launch a second stage of consultation.
To keep up to date with regeneration across Northampton, visit www.wearenorthampton.com
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05 December 2023
In a bid to strengthen local communities and pave the way for a more sustainable future, West Northamptonshire Council is set to invest an extra £28 million in capital funding next year.
Schemes due to progress in the year ahead include improvements to leisure centres, a new Red Route Road safety scheme and minor adaptions to vulnerable adults’ homes to support independent living as the Council sets aside a total of almost £143m in the capital programme for 2024/25 – an increase of over £28m compared to the previous year.
This capital funding pays for projects including new infrastructure, buildings and equipment and is separate from the revenue budget the Council spends on the day-to-day running of services, which includes funding from Council Tax.
We’re always looking to invest in innovative and efficient ways to support and deliver services, and using capital budgets to not only improve our local communities but help us make ongoing savings or generate new income is something we’re particularly focusing on.Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire CouncilCreating a more sustainable West Northants is a key priority for us. As part of this commitment, in 2024 we are proposing to allocate £4 million towards heat decarbonisation initiatives across three key sites: Danescamp, Abington Park Museum, and Everdon Field Centre. This investment will aim to enable these sites to generate a portion of their electricity consumption onsite, resulting in long-term cost savings and a reduced carbon footprint. We are also investing in large-scale solar technology to reduce emissions and dramatically cut energy bills as we work towards our commitment to be net zero by 2030.
Undertaking these transformative initiatives supports our aims for a sustainable, prosperous and vibrant West Northants, with innovation and efficiency going hand in hand.
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05 December 2023
West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) draft budget proposals for 2024/25 will continue to protect the most vulnerable in our community whilst also tackling an unprecedented rise in costs and demand for services.
In the current climate of public spending pressures affecting local authorities nationally, the Council continues to experience inflationary and cost of living pressures impacting on the cost of providing services and the number of people needing help and support, particularly around supporting children in care, vulnerable adults, and those needing temporary housing.
To address these issues, WNC is proposing to increase spending on services in 2024/25. The proposed net revenue budget totals £409.2m (excluding grant funded schools' expenditure of £451m) and also includes £25.7m of efficiencies through planned improvements in productivity and additional income generation.
Cabinet members will initially consider the draft budget at their meeting next week (Tuesday 12 December), with a six-week public consultation launching the following day (13 December) when residents will be encouraged to have their say ahead of the final budget going to Full Council in February.
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 fairly reflect today’s operating costs.
- Proposing to raise Council Tax by 4.99% (around £14.9m), including 2% of the increase going towards adults social care, as specified by the Government. 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 public health funding from 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.
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.Councillor Malcolm Longley, Cabinet Member for Finance at West Northamptonshire CouncilLike councils up and down the country, we continue to face financial pressures from rising costs and demand for the services the council provides, particularly those services supporting children and vulnerable adults, and it’s important we address these whilst still working to deliver upon our ambitions to improve outcomes for our residents. Our draft budget enables us to strike this fine balance for the year ahead.
Increasing Council Tax is always a difficult decision we have to make each year, but as one of our key sources of funding it ensures that we can continue to protect essential services for all our residents.
Cabinet will consider the draft budget proposals during their meeting at The Forum, Towcester, from 6pm on Tuesday, 12 December – this can be watched live via the Council’s YouTube Channel.
The full 2024/25 draft budget reports are available to view online with the agenda for 12 December Cabinet
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05 December 2023
West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Cabinet will meet next week to discuss plans to consult over housing budgets for 2024/25.
Funding from the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) is spent on maintaining and improving social housing, including building new homes. Within the HRA there are plans to invest £54m in social housing during the next financial year, which forms part of a total five year capital programme amounting to £279m. Also built into the plans is investment in decarbonisation which is estimated to impact on 500 homes.
The 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.
The Council has submitted a draft budget proposal for 2024-25 proposing an increase of 7.7% in accordance with the Government’s amended Rent Standard, with effect from 1 April 2024.
This is expected to see the average rent increase from £103.79 to £111.79 per week. The proposals continue to provide support to tenants facing difficulties with the increase in rent, through a hardship fund. In addition to this, the majority of tenants also receive financial support from the Government towards rent payments.
At their meeting next week (Tuesday, 12 December), Cabinet members will initially consider the draft proposals, with a six-week public consultation launching the following day (13 December) enabling residents to have their say ahead of the final budget going to Full Council in February.
Rent income helps maintain and improve the current homes we have, and build more homes for future generations, so this budget will allow us to keep doing these important things.Councillor Adam Brown, Deputy Leader of West Northamptonshire Council and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and LeisureLike most local authorities across the country, we are facing rising inflation rates driving up running costs, as well as a significant increase in demand for social housing and the need for a full condition survey of every property the Council owns under new Social Housing regulations.
We recognise the financial pressures that people are under, however, the proposed increase is in line with growing costs, and we have made it a priority to ensure that we keep our support measures in place for those tenants who need our help the most.
The Cabinet will consider the draft budget proposal during their meeting at The Forum, Towcester, from 6pm on Tuesday, 12 December – this can be watched live via the Council’s YouTube Channel.
The full 2024/25 draft budget reports are available at Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 12 December 2023.
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