North Northamptonshire is one of two local government districts in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. It was created in 2021.[6] The council is based in Corby, the district's largest town. Other notable towns are Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden, Raunds, Desborough, Rothwell, Irthlingborough, Thrapston and Oundle.
North Northamptonshire | |
|---|---|
 Kettering, the district's second largest town | |
 North Northamptonshire shown within Northamptonshire | |
| Coordinates: 52°24′00″N 0°43′41″W / 52.400°N 0.728°W | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Country | England |
| Region | East Midlands |
| Ceremonial county | Northamptonshire |
| Incorporated | 1 April 2021 |
| Administrative HQ | Corby Cube |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unitary authority with leader and cabinet |
| • Body | North Northamptonshire Council |
| • House of Commons | 3 MPs
|
| Area | |
• Total | 381 sq mi (987 km2) |
| • Rank | 25th |
| Population (2022)[3] | |
• Total | 363,408 |
| • Rank | 23rd |
| • Density | 950/sq mi (368/km2) |
| Ethnicity (2021) | |
| • Ethnic groups | |
| Religion (2021) | |
| • Religion | List
|
| Time zone | UTC+0 (GMT) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+1 (BST) |
| Postcode area | |
| Dialling codes |
|
| ISO 3166 code | GB-NNH |
| GSS code | E06000061 |
| ITL code | TLF25 |
| GVA | 2021 estimate[5] |
| • Total | £7.4 billion |
| • Per capita | £20,612 |
| GDP (nominal) | 2021 estimate[5] |
| • Total | £8.5 billion |
| • Per capita | £23,536 |
North Northamptonshire borders the Peterborough, Rutland, Milton Keynes, Huntingdonshire, Bedford, Harborough, West Northamptonshire and South Kesteven.
It has a string of lakes along the Nene Valley Conservation Park, associated heritage railway, the village of Fotheringhay which has tombs of the House of York as well as a towering church supported by flying buttresses. This division has a well-preserved medieval castle in private hands next to Corby – Rockingham Castle – and about 20 other notable country houses, many of which have visitor gardens or days.
History
editNorth Northamptonshire was created on 1 April 2021 by the merger of the four non-metropolitan districts of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, and Wellingborough. The new council took on the functions of these districts, plus those of the abolished Northamptonshire County Council within the area. The way these changes was implemented was to create a new non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county covering the area, both called North Northamptonshire. There is no county council; instead the district council performs county-level functions, making it a unitary authority.[7] North Northamptonshire remains part of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty.[8]
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.[9] 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.[10][11]
The council logo depicts Rockingham Castle, the River Welland and a red kite. The red kite is a bird of prey that has become strongly associated with the county of Northamptonshire, and is particularly commonplace in the north-eastern parts of the county around Corby and Rockingham Forest.[12]
Governance
editNorth Northamptonshire Council | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
Adele Wylie since 27 January 2024[15] | |
| Structure | |
Political groups |
|
| Elections | |
Last election | 6 May 2021 |
Next election | 1 May 2025 |
| Meeting place | |
 The Cube, George Street, Corby, NN17 1QG[16] | |
| Website | |
| www | |
North Northamptonshire Council provides both county-level and district-level services. The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.[17]
Political control
editSince its creation in 2021, the Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council:
| Party in control | Years | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 2021–present | |
Leadership
editThe leader of the council from its first meeting following its creation in 2021 has been:
| Councillor | Party | From | To | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jason Smithers | Conservative | 26 May 2021 | ||
Russell Roberts, outgoing leader of the old Kettering Borough Council, had served as leader of the shadow authority set up to oversee the transition to the new arrangements.[18]
Composition
editFollowing the inaugural election in 2021 and subsequent by-elections and changes of allegiance up to July 2024, the composition of the council was:[19]
| Party | Councillors | |
|---|---|---|
| Conservative | 53 | |
| Labour | 17 | |
| Independent | 4 | |
| Green | 3 | |
| Liberal Democrats | 1 | |
| Total | 78 | |
The next election is due in 2025.[20]
Elections
editElections 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 instead held on 6 May 2021 and the Conservatives won a majority of seats. The Council comprises 78 councillors elected across 26 wards. New ward boundaries have been drawn up to come into effect for the 2025 elections, reducing the number of councillors to 67.[21]
Premises
editThe council inherited four sets of offices from the predecessor authorities, being the Corby Cube, the Kettering Municipal Offices, Swanspool House in Wellingborough, and the old East Northamptonshire District Council offices on Cedar Drive in Thrapston. The Corby Cube was chosen as the main meeting place.[16] The other buildings serve as area offices.[16][22]
Settlements and parishes
editThe parish councils for Burton Latimer, Corby, Desborough, Finedon, Higham Ferrers, Irthlingborough, Kettering, Oundle, Raunds, Rothwell, Rushden, Thrapston and Wellingborough have declared their parishes to be towns, allowing them to take the style "town council".[23]
- Achurch, Aldwincle, Apethorpe, Ashley, Ashton
- Barnwell, Barton Seagrave, Benefield, Blatherwycke, Bozeat, Brampton Ash, Braybrooke, Brigstock, Broughton, Bulwick, Burton Latimer
- Chelveston cum Caldecott, Clopton, Corby, Collyweston, Cotterstock, Cottingham, Cranford, Cransley
- Deene, Deenethorpe, Denford, Desborough, Dingley, Duddington-with-Fineshade
- Earls Barton, East Carlton, Easton Maudit, Easton on the Hill, Ecton
- Finedon, Fotheringhay
- Geddington, Glapthorn, Grafton Underwood, Great Addington, Great Doddington, Great Harrowden, Grendon, Gretton
- Hardwick, Hargrave, Harrington, Harringworth, Hemington, Higham Ferrers
- Irchester, Irthlingborough, Islip, Isham
- Kettering, King's Cliffe
- Laxton, Lilford-cum-Wigsthorpe, Little Addington, Little Harrowden, Little Irchester, Loddington, Lowick, Luddington, Lutton
- Mawsley, Mears Ashby, Middleton
- Nassington, Newton and Little Oakley, Newton Bromswold
- Orlingbury, Orton, Oundle
- Pilton, Polebrook, Pytchley
- Raunds, Ringstead, Rockingham, Rothwell, Rushden, Rushton
- Shotley, Southwick, Stanion, Stanwick, Stoke Doyle, Stoke Albany, Strixton, Sudborough, Sutton Bassett, Sywell
- Tansor, Thorpe Malsor, Thorpe Waterville, Thrapston, Thurning, Titchmarsh, Twywell
- Wadenhoe, Wakerley, Warkton, Warmington, Weekley, Weldon, Wellingborough, Weston by Welland, Wilbarston, Wilby, Wollaston, Northamptonshire,Woodford, Woodnewton, Wollaston
- Yarwell
Media
editIn terms of television, the area is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia which broadcast from the Sandy Heath transmitter.[24] The Waltham transmitter can also be received which broadcasts BBC East Midlands and ITV Central programmes.[25]
Radio stations for the area are:
- BBC Radio Northampton on 103.6 FM
- BBC Radio Cambridgeshire on 95.7 FM
- Heart East on 96.6 FM
- Smooth East Midlands (formerly Connect FM) on 97.2 FM, 106.8 FM, and 107.4 FM
North Northamptonshire is served by the following local newspapers: Northamptonshire Evening Telegraph and Northampton Chronicle and Echo.
See also
edit- 2019–2023 structural changes to local government in England
- 2021 North Northamptonshire Council election
- West Northamptonshire for the other unitary authority created in Northamptonshire in April 2021.
References
edit- ^ "Councillors and democratic information". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – North Northamptonshire Local Authority (E06000061)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ a b Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: local authorities". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
- ^ "North Northamptonshire shadow unitary council 'in place next year'". BBC News. 20 April 2018.
- ^ "The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2020/156, retrieved 14 July 2024
- ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 1997 c. 23. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
- ^ "Northamptonshire County Council: statement". Retrieved 13 June 2018.
- ^ "Northamptonshire: Unitary authorities plan approved". BBC News. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "AT LAST! Northamptonshire's new unitary councils are made law by parliament". Northampton Chronicle. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
- ^ "The peculiar case of Corby's dive-bombing birds" – via www.northantstelegraph.co.uk.
- ^ "Council minutes, 23 May 2024". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "Council minutes, 26 May 2021". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
- ^ "Council appoints new Chief Executive". North Northamptonshire Council. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ a b c "Corby Cube set to become North Northamptonshire Council headquarters". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
- ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ Ward, Sarah (16 April 2020). "Government appoints Kettering Council leader to head up new unitary council". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Long-standing Corby Tory quits party, fires parting shot, and crosses floor to join Labour". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
- ^ "North Northamptonshire". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 14 July 2024.
- ^ "The North Northamptonshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2024", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2024/157, retrieved 14 July 2024
- ^ "Visiting the council and our addresses". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
- ^ "Parish council contact details". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
- ^ "Full Freeview on the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
- ^ "Full Freeview on the Waltham (Leicestershire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
External links
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