West Northamptonshire

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This article is about the district. For the development corporation, see West Northamptonshire Development Corporation.

West Northamptonshire
Unitary authority area
Official logo of West Northamptonshire
West Northamptonshire within Northamptonshire
West Northamptonshire within Northamptonshire
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Ceremonial countyNorthamptonshire
Admin HQNorthampton[1]
Established1 April 2021
Government
 • TypeUnitary authority
Area
 • Land531.79 sq mi (1,377.3 km2)
Population
 (mid-2019 est.)
 • Total405,050
Time zoneUTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time)
ONS codeE06000062 (GSS)[2]
Websitehttps://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/

West Northamptonshire is a unitary authority area covering part of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, created in 2021.[3] By far the largest settlement in West Northamptonshire is the county town of Northampton. Its other significant towns are Daventry, Brackley and Towcester; the rest of the area is predominantly agricultural villages though it has many lakes and small woodlands and is passed through by the West Coast Main Line and M1 Motorway, thus hosting a relatively high number of hospitality attractions as well as distribution centres as these are key English transport routes. Close to these is the leisure-use Grand Union Canal.

The district has remains of a Roman town Bannaventa, with relics and finds in the main town museums, and its most notable landscape and mansion is Althorp.

History[]

West Northamptonshire was formed on 1 April 2021 through the merger of the three existing non-metropolitan districts of Daventry, Northampton, and South Northamptonshire, it absorbed the functions of these districts, plus those of the abolished Northamptonshire County Council.

In March 2018, following financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers at Northamptonshire County Council, the then Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid, sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all district and borough councils in the county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county.[4] These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire were merged to form a new unitary authority called West Northamptonshire, whilst the second unitary authority North Northamptonshire consists of the former Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough districts.[5][6]

Council[]

Council composition:
  Conservatives: 66 seats
  Labour: 20 seats
  Liberal Democrats: 5 seats
  Independent: 2 seats

Elections for a shadow authority were due to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020, but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These elections were held on 6 May 2021 with the Conservatives winning an overall majority.

The Council comprises 93 councillors elected across 31 wards.[7] As a result of the 2021 elections, the Conservatives hold sixty five seats, the Labour Party hold twenty, the Liberal Democrats hold five and there are three independent councillors.

Settlements and parishes[]

For a county-wide list for Northamptonshire see List of places in Northamptonshire

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Council, Northampton Borough. "Councillors agree next steps towards shadow authority preparations". www.northampton.gov.uk.
  2. ^ "Local Authority Districts (April 2021) Names and Codes in the United Kingdom". geoportal.statistics.gov.uk.
  3. ^ "Northampton's parks and historic buildings may be managed by another council after unitary changes". Northampton Chronicle. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  4. ^ "Northamptonshire County Council: statement". Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  5. ^ "Northamptonshire: Unitary authorities plan approved". BBC News. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  6. ^ "AT LAST! Northamptonshire's new unitary councils are made law by parliament". Northampton Chronicle. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  7. ^ Area, West Northamptonshire Council-Northampton. "7 May 2020 Elections". www.northampton.gov.uk.

External links[]

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