Archive for category: News

There are just a few days are left for residents to share their views on how much they would be willing to pay to help fund Policing and the Fire Service in Northamptonshire.

At the end of November, Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Danielle Stone launched an online consultation asking people for their views on the police and fire precept – the amount paid towards local police and fire services through the 2025/26 council tax.

The Commissioner is also seeking views on her draft police, fire and crime plan, which sets the blueprint for both services over the next five years.

There are only a few days left to complete the survey, which is open until 11.59pm on Sunday 5 January 2025. It can be accessed at the following link: www.research.net/r/PlanAndPreceptConsultation2025OPFCC7

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is calling on parents, guardians, and education providers to share their experiences and needs regarding childcare in the area. This feedback is crucial for our annual Childcare Sufficiency Assessment, which ensures we meet our legal obligation to provide sufficient and affordable childcare.

We are carrying out a survey to ensure that WNC has the right level of childcare for children up to 14 years old, or up to 25 years old for those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). This assessment helps us identify gaps in the childcare market by comparing the supply of childcare with the demand.

We’d like to hear from parents, guardians, and carers of children up to 14 years old, or 25-year-olds with SEND, who use any type of childcare, including early years and wraparound care, to participate in our survey. Your input is vital in helping us understand the local childcare needs.

Cllr Fiona Baker, Cabinet Member for Children, Families, and Education at West Northamptonshire Council said: “We value the insights of our community and it is important that family’s and carers share their thoughts to help us to shape this provision and ensure that we provide high-quality childcare that meets the needs of all families in West Northamptonshire.”

You can complete the survey online by clicking the link here. If you require the survey in another format, please contact us via email at: FIS.NCC@westnorthants.gov.uk The deadline for responding to this consultation is  midnight, Sunday 19 January 2025.

The information gathered will be reported to elected council members and published on the West Northamptonshire Council website. It will inform our Childcare Sufficiency Assessment, which will be presented to Cabinet in September 2025. This assessment will guide our planning to ensure there are enough high-quality childcare places available at the right times and locations.

The Childcare Sufficiency Assessment will be available in December 2025 on our Childcare Sufficiency Assessment webpage.

Residents, businesses and community groups in West Northants are encouraged to share their views on the draft budget proposals for 2025/26.

Members of the Cabinet met last night (Tuesday, 10 Dec) to discuss ideas for saving money and improving efficiency. These proposals aim to balance the Council’s budget while protecting our most vulnerable residents and addressing the rising costs and demand for local services.

Now it’s over to you. The proposals are open for feedback until midnight on Tuesday, 21 January. After that, we’ll use your input to finalise the budget, which will be presented to the full Council in February 2025.

You can have your say on the budget proposals by completing the survey on our Consultation Hub. The survey can be accessed online for free at Council managed libraries across West Northants, or you can request a copy in another format by emailing haveyoursay@westnorthants.gov.uk or phoning 0300 126 7000.

Despite financial pressures, the council is on course to set a balanced revenue budget for 2025/2026 of £933.8m (net £427.7m excluding Dedicated Schools Grant).

Key to helping the Council protect essential services whilst balancing the books in its fifth year as a unitary authority is the income it receives from Council Tax. The draft budget proposes to raise Council Tax by 4.99%, including 2% going towards adult social care as specified by the Government. This increase, in line with last year’s, would mean an average rise of £1.71 per week on a Band D property yet would contribute around £19m a year towards services.

The Council has also continued to review, restructure and transform services within the organisation to find more efficient ways of working without adversely impacting the services it delivers to residents. These initiatives are set to achieve efficiencies of around £26m next year. The proposals also include a full review of fees and charges where appropriate to keep up with inflation and to ensure they fairly reflect today’s operating costs.

The draft budget also proposes that the authority invests over £155m in its capital programme over the next four years, to improve local infrastructure and assets such as land, buildings and equipment. The Council will also be investing in accommodation to reduce its reliance on expensive private placements. Additionally, the Council will spend an estimated £20m in public health support which is funding from the Government in the year ahead to progress a range of schemes aimed at improving residents’ wellbeing, reducing health inequalities and continuing to support communities.

There are also proposals on how the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) should be funded in 2025-26 – this is money spent on maintaining and improving social housing, including building new homes. There are plans to invest £77m in social housing during the next financial year, which forms part of a total five-year capital programme amounting to £261m.

Watch our video to find out more about the budget proposals for 2025/26: Our Budget Explained: 2025/26

Cabinet will consider the final budget for 2025/26 on Tuesday, 11 February 2025 for recommendation to the full Council meeting on Thursday, 20 February 2025; subject to any changes made following consideration of the consultation feedback, the Local Government financial settlement and the latest financial position.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has accepted a judgement issued by the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH) which has found serious failings in the way its housing is managed by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH).

Immediate action is already under way to address the issues, with NPH prioritising safety concerns, including carrying out essential safety checks such as fire risk assessments for properties with a communal space. Tenants whose properties are affected by these issues will be contacted directly by NPH and checks of all 11,500 properties will be completed by the end of December.

The Council referred itself to the Regulator in September 2024 following a review process identifying that NPH may not be managing and maintaining some homes in line with updated quality and safety standards, which came into effect in April 2024. This includes a lack of safety inspections being carried out at some properties.

Following an investigation conducted by the Regulator, the Council has been issued with a C3 judgement which means serious failings have been identified and significant improvement is needed. Regulatory judgements are published to show how well a landlord is delivering the required outcomes of the Regulator’s standards and provide a consumer grading from C1 to C4.

Cllr Adam Brown, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, said: “Everyone deserves safe, high-quality housing and we recognise that this is not being delivered to some of our tenants. This is simply not good enough and we are sorry that standards have fallen short of what the Council and tenants should expect. We accept this judgement and welcome the Regulator’s input and transparency, as this will help us drive forward the urgent improvements required together.

“Since identifying these failings and submitting a self-referral, we have taken immediate action, prioritising safety concerns and working closely with NPH to ensure robust processes are in place. We have also strengthened oversight by appointing additional directors and housing experts to the board to guide and support the recovery process.

“Our priority is to restore confidence among our tenants by delivering safe, secure, and high-quality homes, and we are fully committed to meeting the Regulator’s standards. We will continue to be open and transparent throughout this process as we work tirelessly to achieve these goals.”

The Council is working closely with NPH on a shared plan of action to address the issues, prioritising essential safety checks such as fire risk assessments for properties with communal spaces. All tenants have been notified of the situation and those whose properties are directly affected will be contacted by NPH before the end of the year to discuss the necessary steps and ensure the issues are resolved.

In addition, two additional senior directors have been placed into NPH to work closely with its management team and ensure completion of the priority action plan, as well as to put in place longer-term improvements agreed with the Regulator. The NPH board will also be joined by two housing experts who have experience in the management of Social Housing stock and recovery plans.

The Regulator has carefully reviewed all actions to date and assessed ongoing efforts and will collaborate with the Council to improve the services we provide to our tenants and leaseholders. If deemed necessary, they may also require further specific actions to address any other concerns.

This additional scrutiny offers valuable external insight, helping the Council and NPH prioritise the most urgent areas for improvement. We fully welcome this open and transparent evaluation of our services which plays a crucial role in driving meaningful change and ensuring we deliver the high standards our tenants and leaseholders deserve.

Significant flooding hits Northamptonshire – check before you travel

Significant flooding has hit Northamptonshire overnight and a multi-agency response is now underway and working to support people affected by Storm Bert.

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service and Northamptonshire Police have received a very high number of calls overnight from people requesting help due to flooding, both in properties and on roads. These issues are quite widespread across the county, including particularly in Towcester, Weedon, Lower Harlestone and the St Andrews Road area of Northampton.

Billing Aquadrome flood sirens have sounded and the holiday park is being evacuated by the management with assistance from Northamptonshire Search and Rescue and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service.

West Northamptonshire Council is supporting Billing’s evacuation plans by providing a rest centre at Lings Forum Leisure Centre for those displaced by the flooding. Their immediate welfare and accommodation needs will be assessed today by council teams who are also making welfare checks on vulnerable people across West Northants.

All the agencies including Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire fire and rescue service, West Northamptonshire Council, the Environment Agency are working together to coordinate their response.

The councils’ highways teams are supporting emergency services with flooding incidents countywide, having so far received over 160 calls, predominantly relating to reports of flooding and fallen trees.

Road closures are in place across the county with some disruption to public transport including trains at Northampton. All the agencies including Northamptonshire Police, Northamptonshire fire and rescue service, West Northamptonshire Council, the Environment Agency are working together to coordinate their response.

The message from the agencies is to check the travel information before setting off, drive appropriately to the road conditions and be prepared to meet standing water on the roads – and if there is standing water, do not enter it or attempt to drive through it.

People across the county are asked to continue to follow the safety advice on our social media feeds, following the Environment Agency for flood alerts.

Flood reports can be submitted at:

West Northants: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/its-emergency/report-flood

North Northants: https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/flooding

You can report other highways issues to Street Doctor services:

West Northants area: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/roads-and-paths-maintenance/report-potholes-or-highway-problem
North Northants area: https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/parking-roads-and-transport/report-potholes-or-highway-problem
Follow the Met Office for up-to-date weather reports and warnings where you live: https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/weather/forecast/gcr35qpbd#?date=2024-11-24

By only dialling 999 in an emergency where life is at risk, you’re helping us prioritise helping those most in need. Thank you.

You can find advice on what to do during a flood at GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)