West Northamptonshire Council

Last updated
West Northamptonshire Council
Arms of West Northamptonshire.svg
Coat of Arms of West Northamptonshire Council
West Northamptonshire Council.svg
Logo of West Northamptonshire Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Jo Gilford,
Conservative
since 16 May 2024 [1]
Adam Brown,
Conservative
since 16 May 2024 [2]
Anna Earnshaw
since 2020 [3]
Structure
Seats93 councillors
West Northamptonshire Council structure.svg
Political groups
Administration (59)
  Conservative (59)
Other parties (34)
  Labour (21)
  Liberal Democrats (6)
  Independent (6)
  Vacant (1)
Elections
Last election
 6 May 2021
Next election
 1 May 2025
Meeting place
One Angel Square, Northampton.jpg
One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED [4]
Website
westnorthants.gov.uk

West Northamptonshire Council is the local authority for West Northamptonshire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government. [5]

Contents

Political control

Since its creation in 2021, the Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council: [6]

Party in controlYears
Conservative 2021–present

Leadership

The leader of the council from its first meeting following its creation in 2021 was Jonathan Nunn, who was the last leader of the old Northampton Borough Council. Ian McCord, outgoing Conservative leader of the old South Northamptonshire District Council, had served as leader of the shadow authority set up to oversee the transition to the new arrangements. [7]

CouncillorPartyFromTo
Jonathan Nunn [8] Conservative 20 May 202118 April 2024
Adam Brown Conservative 16 May 2024

Composition

Following the 2021 election and subsequent changes up to May 2024, the composition of the council was:

PartyCouncillors
Conservative 61
Labour 20
Liberal Democrats 6
Independent 6
Total93

Four of the six independents sit together as the 'Independent Group'. [9] The next election is due in 2025.

Elections

Elections for a shadow authority were due to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020 but were postponed until 6 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New ward boundaries have been drawn up to take effect from the 2025 elections, which will reduce the number of councillors from 93 to 76, to be elected from 35 wards each electing one, two or three councillors. From 2025 elections will be held every four years. [10]

Premises

Council meetings are generally held at Northampton Guildhall, with the nearby former Northamptonshire County Council offices at One Angel Square serving as the council's headquarters. [11] The council also inherited offices at The Forum in Towcester from South Northamptonshire District Council and Lodge Road in Daventry from Daventry District Council. The Forum continues to be used as additional offices and for some council meetings, whilst Lodge Road has closed, being replaced by a smaller area office in Daventry. [12]

Arms

Coat of arms of West Northamptonshire Council
Arms of West Northamptonshire.svg
Notes
Granted in May 2023. [13]
Crest
On a Wreath Or and Vert in front of a Mount Vert thereon a Tower triple-towered Argent the portcullis raised Or three Garbs banded and two Roses Gules barbed and seeded proper.
Escutcheon
Vert on a Bend wavy on the upper edge Or four Roses Gules barbed and seeded proper between a Lion's Face and a Garb Or banded Gules. [14] [15]
Supporters
On the dexter side a Lion guardant Or resting the interior hindpaw on an Escallop Argent and on the sinister side a Bull guardant Sable gorged with a Collar and Line reflexed over the back Or and resting the interior hindleg on a Horseshoe Argent.
Motto
Ambition, Pride, Unity, Prosperity
Badge
A Lion sejant guardant supporting a Garb Or thereon four Roses palewise Gules barbed and seeded proper.
Symbolism
The Dexter supporter, a golden lion, is taken from the arms of Northampton, with the scallop on which it stands, a reference to the arms of the Spencer family, owners of the Althorp Estate. The black bull in sinister, is taken from the former Northamptonshire County Council's arms. The four roses on the escutcheon stand for the towns of Daventry, Brackley, Towcester and Northampton. [16] [17]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "West Northamptonshire Council welcomes new Chairman". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  2. ↑ Lincoln, Nadia (17 May 2024). "New leader of West Northamptonshire Council officially voted in at annual meeting". Northampton Chronicle and Echo. Retrieved 21 May 2024.
  3. ↑ Calkin, Sarah (11 August 2020). "Shadow unitary appoints first chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  4. ↑ Council, Northampton Borough. "Councillors agree next steps towards shadow authority preparations". www.northampton.gov.uk.
  5. ↑ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  6. ↑ Area, West Northamptonshire Council-Northampton. "7 May 2020 Elections". www.northampton.gov.uk.
  7. ↑ "Northamptonshire councillor wins appeal over Conservatives expulsion". BBC News. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  8. ↑ Lincoln, Nadia (24 April 2024). "Conservative HQ responds to calls to remove whip from former West Northamptonshire Council leader". Northamptonshire Telegraph. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  9. ↑ "Your councillors by party". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  10. ↑ "The West Northamptonshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2024", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2025/65, retrieved 24 January 2024
  11. ↑ "Contact us". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  12. ↑ Heath, Martin (22 January 2024). "Office move 'will save £350k per year' - West Northants Council". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Coat of Arms". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  14. ↑ "Coat of arms (crest) of West Northamptonshire". Heraldry of the World. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  15. ↑ "CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES - EAST MIDLANDS REGION". www.civicheraldry.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  16. ↑ Holland, Kris (23 May 2023). "West Northamptonshire Council: New coat of arms". BBC News. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  17. ↑ "West Northamptonshire Council unveiled its new Coat of Arms | West Northamptonshire Council". www.westnorthants.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
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