North Northamptonshire

This article is about the district. For the constituency, see North Northamptonshire (UK Parliament constituency).

North Northamptonshire
Unitary authority area
Kettering, the district's second largest town
North Northamptonshire shown within Northamptonshire
Coordinates: 52°24′00″N0°43′41″W / 52.400°N 0.728°W / 52.400; -0.728
Sovereign state	United Kingdom
Country	England
Region	East Midlands
Ceremonial county	Northamptonshire
Incorporated	1 April 2021
Administrative HQ	Corby Cube
Government [1]
• Type	Unitary authority with leader and cabinet
• Body	North Northamptonshire Council
•  Control	Conservative
•  Leader	Jason Smithers (C)
• Chair	Barbara Jenney
•  Chief Executive	Adele Wylie
•  House of Commons	3 MPs Tom Pursglove (C) Philip Hollobone (C) Gen Kitchen (L)
Area [2]
• Total	380.9 sq mi (986.6 km2)
• Rank	25th
Population  (2021) [3]
• Total	360,381
• Rank	23rd
• Density	950/sq mi (365/km2)
Ethnicity (2021) [4]
•  Ethnic groups	List 90.3% White 3.5% Asian 3.1% Black 2.3% Mixed 0.8% other
Religion (2021) [4]
•  Religion	List 47.9% Christianity 42.6% no religion 1.3% Hinduism 1.2% Islam 0.5% Sikhism 0.3% Buddhism 0.1% Judaism 0.5% other 5.6% not stated
Time zone	UTC+0 (GMT)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode area	NN
Dialling codes	01536 01933
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
Website	northnorthants.gov.uk

North Northamptonshire is one of two local government districts in Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority area forming about one half of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire. It was created in 2021. ^[6] Its council is based in Corby, the district's largest town. Other notable towns are Kettering, Wellingborough, Rushden, Raunds, Desborough, Rothwell, Irthlingborough, Thrapston and Oundle.

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

North Northamptonshire was created on 1 April 2021 by the merger of the four non-metropolitan districts of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, and Wellingborough. 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. ^[7] 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. ^{[8] [9]}

The Council logo depicts Rockingham Castle, the River Welland and a Red kite - 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. ^[10]

Governance

North Northamptonshire Council
Type
Type	Unitary authority
Leadership
Chair	Barbara Jenney, Conservative since 25 May 2023 [11]
Leader	Jason Smithers, Conservative since 26 May 2021 [12]
Chief Executive	Adele Wylie since 27 January 2024 [13]
Structure
Political groups	Administration (53)   Conservative (53) Other parties (25)   Labour (17) [14]   Green (3)   Independent (4)   Liberal Democrats (1)
Elections
Last election	6 May 2021
Next election	1 May 2025
Meeting place
The Cube, George Street, Corby, NN17 1QG [15]
Website
www.northnorthants.gov.uk

Corby, the administrative centre and largest settlement in North Northamptonshire

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. ^[16]

Political control

Since its creation in 2021, the Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council:

Party in control		Years
	Conservative	2021–present

Leadership

The leader of the council from its first meeting following its creation in 2021 has been:

Councillor	Party		Councillors	From	To
Jason Smithers		Conservative	52	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. ^[17]

Matt Keane Is leader of the Labour Group, Emily Fedorowycz is leader of the Green Alliance and Cedwien Brown is Leader of The Independent Alliance

Councillor	Party		Councillors	From	To
Matt Keane		Labour	17	25 May 2023
Emily Fedorowycz		Green	4 (alliance Group)	26 May 2021
Cedwien Brown		Independent	4 (alliance Group)	7 March 2024

Composition

As at March 2024, the composition of the council was:

Party		Councillors
	Conservative	52
	Labour	17
	Green	3
	Independent	4
	Liberal Democrats	1
	Vacant	1
Total		78

Elections

See also: 2021 North Northamptonshire Council election

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 instead held on 6 May 2021 and the Conservatives won a majority of seats. The Council comprises 78 councillors elected across 26 wards.

Premises

The 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. ^[15] The other buildings serve as area offices. ^{[18] [19]}

Settlements and parishes

See also: List of civil parishes in Northamptonshire

The 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". ^[20]

Population pyramid of North Northamptonshire

Wellingborough, the third-largest settlement in North Northamptonshire

Rushden, the fourth-largest settlement in North Northamptonshire

• 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

See also

• 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

1. "Councillors and democratic information". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
2. "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
3. "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2021". Office for National Statistics. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
4. UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – North Northamptonshire Local Authority (E06000061)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics . Retrieved 12 February 2024.
5. Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: local authorities". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
6. "North Northamptonshire shadow unitary council 'in place next year'". BBC News. 20 April 2018.
7. "Northamptonshire County Council: statement" . Retrieved 13 June 2018.
8. "Northamptonshire: Unitary authorities plan approved". BBC News. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
9. "AT LAST! Northamptonshire's new unitary councils are made law by parliament". Northampton Chronicle. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
10. "The peculiar case of Corby's dive-bombing birds" – via www.northantstelegraph.co.uk.
11. "Council minutes, 25 May 2023". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
12. "Council minutes, 26 May 2021". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 21 June 2022.
13. "Council appoints new Chief Executive". North Northamptonshire Council. 8 December 2023. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
14. "Long-standing Corby Tory quits party, fires parting shot, and crosses floor to join Labour". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
15. "Corby Cube set to become North Northamptonshire Council headquarters". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
16. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
17. Ward, Sarah (16 April 2020). "Government appoints Kettering Council leader to head up new unitary council". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
18. "Corby Cube set to become North Northamptonshire Council headquarters". Northamptonshire Telegraph. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
19. "Visiting the council and our addresses". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 11 December 2023.
20. "Parish council contact details". North Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 December 2023.