West Northamptonshire Council

West Northamptonshire Council
Coat of Arms of West Northamptonshire Council
Logo of West Northamptonshire Council
Type
Type	Unitary authority
Leadership
Chair	Alison Eastwood, Conservative since 15 May 2025 [1]
Leader	Mark Arnull, Reform UK since 15 May 2025
Chief Executive	Anna Earnshaw since 2020 [2]
Structure
Seats	76 councillors
Political groups	Administration (41)   Reform UK (41) Other parties (35)   Conservative (17)   Labour (9)   Liberal Democrats (6)   Independent (3)
Elections
Last election	1 May 2025
Next election	3 May 2029
Meeting place
The Guildhall, St Giles Square, Northampton, NN1 1DE
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 council has been under Reform UK majority control since the 2025 election. Full council meetings are generally held at Northampton Guildhall, and the council's main offices are at One Angel Square in Northampton.

History

The council was created in 2021. It took over the functions of the three abolished district councils of Daventry District Council, Northampton Borough Council, and South Northamptonshire District Council, as well as the functions of the abolished Northamptonshire County Council within the area. ^[3]

Governance

Legally, West Northamptonshire Council is a district council which also performs the functions of a county council, making it a unitary authority. ^[3] Some county-wide functions, such as the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, are overseen by joint committees of West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council, the other unitary authority in the county. ^[4]

The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government. ^[5]

Political control

Since the 2025 election, Reform UK have held a majority of the seats on the council: ^[6]

Party in control		Years
	Conservative	2021–2025
	Reform UK [7]	2025–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. ^[8]

Councillor	Party		From	To
Jonathan Nunn [9] [10]		Conservative	20 May 2021	18 April 2024
Adam Brown [11] [7]		Conservative	16 May 2024	May 2025
Mark Arnull [12]		Reform UK	15 May 2025

Composition

Following the 2025 election, and a change of allegiance in June 2025 from Reform UK to independent, the composition of the council was: ^{[13] [14]}

Party		Councillors
	Reform UK	41
	Conservative	17
	Labour	9
	Liberal Democrats	6
	Independent	3
Total		76

The next election is due in 2029. ^[13]

Elections

Further information: West Northamptonshire Council 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. Since the last boundary changes in 2025, the council has comprised 76 councillors representing 35 wards, each electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years. ^[15]

Premises

One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED: Council's main offices

Full 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. ^[17]

The Forum, Towcester

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 committee meetings, whilst Lodge Road has closed, being replaced by a smaller area office in Daventry. ^[18]

Arms

Coat of arms of West Northamptonshire Council

Notes Granted in May 2023. [19] 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. [20] [21] 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. [22] [23]

See also

• 2019–2023 structural changes to local government in England
• North Northamptonshire Council, another unitary authority created in Northamptonshire in April 2021.

References

1. "West Northamptonshire Council announces the appointment of Cllr Alison Eastwood as its new Chairman". West Northamptonshire Council. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
2. Calkin, Sarah (11 August 2020). "Shadow unitary appoints first chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
3. "The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2020/156, retrieved 14 July 2024
4. "Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Panel". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
5. "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
6. "West Northamptonshire council results". BBC News.
7. Heath, Martin (2 May 2025). "Reform UK take control of two Northants councils". BBC News. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
8. "Northamptonshire councillor wins appeal over Conservatives expulsion". BBC News. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
9. "Council minutes, 20 May 2021". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. "West Northamptonshire Council welcomes new Leader and Cabinet as it embarks on next chapter". West Northamptonshire Council. 16 May 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
13. "West Northamptonshire". Local Councils. Thorncliffe. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
14. "West Northants Reform councillor suspended 34 days after election". BBC News. 2025-06-04. Retrieved 2025-07-07.
15. "The West Northamptonshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2024", legislation.gov.uk , The National Archives, SI 2025/65, retrieved 24 January 2024
16. Council, Northampton Borough. "Councillors agree next steps towards shadow authority preparations". www.northampton.gov.uk.
17. "Contact us". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
18. Heath, Martin (22 January 2024). "Office move 'will save £350k per year' - West Northants Council". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
19. "Coat of Arms". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
20. "Coat of arms (crest) of West Northamptonshire". Heraldry of the World. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
21. "CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES - EAST MIDLANDS REGION". www.civicheraldry.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
22. Holland, Kris (23 May 2023). "West Northamptonshire Council: New coat of arms". BBC News. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
23. "West Northamptonshire Council unveiled its new Coat of Arms | West Northamptonshire Council". www.westnorthants.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.