Local government reform proposal agreed by majority of Northamptonshire councils
A proposal for local government reform in Northamptonshire has been agreed by seven out of eight councils in the county.
Daventry District Council, East Northamptonshire Council, Kettering Borough Council, Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council, South Northamptonshire Council and the Borough Council of Wellingborough all decided to submit the proposal while Corby Borough Council decided not to.This is the conclusion of a process initiated following Government inspector Max Caller's investigation into finances at Northamptonshire County Council. He proposed in his Best Value Report that two new authorities be formed, one for the west of the county and one for the north.The Secretary of State then wrote to the county's eight local authorities inviting them to explore options for reform and to submit one proposal, stating that a range of options would not be accepted.In April 2018, the then Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government set the following criteria:- A single county-wide unitary is explicitly excluded as an option
- Each new proposed authority must have a population substantially in excess of 300,000
- The proposal must be based on existing council boundaries
- Only one proposal will be accepted, not a range of options
- It must demonstrate clear potential for savings
- It must command a good deal of local support
- Due consideration should be given to the recommendations in the Best Value Report
- Any solution should prioritise the Government's wider housing and growth agenda
- Extensive consultation must be carried out
Posted: Fri, 31 Aug 2018 15:38 by Deborah Rush