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West Northamptonshire

Coordinates: 52°14′13″N 0°53′42″W / 52.237°N 0.895°W / 52.237; -0.895
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the district. For the development corporation, see West Northamptonshire Development Corporation.

West Northamptonshire
Unitary authority area
Northampton, Daventry, Brackley and Towcester
Motto(s): 
Ambition, Pride, Unity, Prosperity
West Northamptonshire shown within Northamptonshire
West Northamptonshire shown within Northamptonshire
Coordinates: 52°14′13″N 0°53′42″W / 52.237°N 0.895°W / 52.237; -0.895
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
CountryEngland
RegionEast Midlands
Ceremonial countyNorthamptonshire
Incorporated1 April 2021
Administrative HQNorthampton
Government
[1]
 • TypeUnitary authority with leader and cabinet
 • BodyWest Northamptonshire Council
 • House of Commons
4 MPs
Area
[2]
 • Total
530 sq mi (1,380 km2)
 • Land532 sq mi (1,377 km2)
 • Water1 sq mi (3 km2)
 • Rank16th
Population
 (2022)[3]
 • Total
429,013
 • Rank15th
 • Density810/sq mi (311/km2)
Ethnicity (2021)
[4]
 • Ethnic groups
List
Religion (2021)
[4]
 • Religion
List
Time zoneUTC+0 (GMT)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+1 (BST)
Postcode area
NN
Dialling codes
  • 01327
  • 01604
ISO 3166 codeGB-WNH
GSS codeE06000062
ITL codeTLF24
GVA2021 estimate[5]
 • Total£13.2 billion
 • Per capita£30,905
GDP (nominal)2021 estimate[5]
 • Total£14.7 billion
 • Per capita£34,385
Websitewestnorthants.gov.uk

West Northamptonshire is a unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, and was created in 2021. It contains the county town of Northampton, as well as Daventry, Brackley and Towcester; the rest of the area is predominantly agricultural villages though it has many lakes and small woodlands.

The West Coast Main Line and the M1 and M40 motorways pass through the district, and it includes the site of the Roman town of Bannaventa and the grade I listed Althorp House and its estate.

History

[edit]

West Northamptonshire was formed on 1 April 2021[6] through the merger of the three non-metropolitan districts of Daventry, Northampton, and South Northamptonshire. The new West Northamptonshire Council therefore absorbed the functions of those districts' councils, plus those of the abolished Northamptonshire County Council. These changes were implemented by creating a new non-metropolitan district and a non-metropolitan county covering the area, both called West Northamptonshire. There is no county council; instead the district council performs county-level functions, making it a unitary authority.[7] West Northamptonshire remains part of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire for the purposes of lieutenancy and shrievalty.[8]

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.[9] 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.[10][11]

Governance

[edit]
West Northamptonshire Council
Coat of arms or logo
Coat of Arms of West Northamptonshire Council
Logo
Logo of West Northamptonshire Council
Type
Type
Leadership
Jo Gilford,
Conservative
since 16 May 2024[12]
Adam Brown,
Conservative
since 16 May 2024[13]
Anna Earnshaw
since 2020[14]
Structure
Seats93 councillors
Political groups
Administration (61)
  Conservative (61)
Other parties (32)
  Labour (20)
  Liberal Democrats (6)
  Independent (6)
Elections
Last election
6 May 2021
Next election
1 May 2025
Meeting place
One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED[15]
Website
westnorthants.gov.uk

West 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

[edit]

Since its creation in 2021, the Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council:[17]

Party in control Years
Conservative 2021–present

Leadership

[edit]

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.[18]

Councillor Party From To
Jonathan Nunn[19] Conservative 20 May 2021 18 April 2024
Adam Brown Conservative 16 May 2024

Composition

[edit]

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

Party Councillors
Conservative 61
Labour 20
Liberal Democrats 6
Independent 6
Total 93

Four of the six independents sit together as the 'Independent Group'.[20] The next election is due in 2025.

Elections

[edit]
See also: 2021 West Northamptonshire Council election and 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. 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.[21]

Premises

[edit]

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.[22] 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.[23]

Demographics

[edit]

Population

[edit]
Population pyramid in 2020

The West Northamptonshire population was estimated to be around 406,733 people in 2020, in 2011, off of previous administrative boundaries, the population of the West Northamptonshire area was around 375,101 people, with it being 345,589 people in 2001.[24]

Gender

[edit]

In 2020, there was around an estimated 202,004 men and 204,729 women.[24]

Ethnicity

[edit]
Ethnic Group 1991[25] 2001[26] 2011[27]
Number % Number % Number %
White: Total 301,940 96.1% 326,513 94.5% 336,933 89.8%
White: British – – 315,127 91.2% 314,924 84%
White: Irish – – 4,996 4,011
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller – – – – 214
White: Other – – 6,390 17,784
Asian or Asian British: Total 6,268 2% 7,224 2.1% 16,063 4.3%
Asian or Asian British: Indian 2,918 3,915 6,471
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani 563 915 1,789
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi 1,215 1,818 3,474
Asian or Asian British: Chinese 847 1,495 2,005
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian 725 576 2,324
Black or Black British: Total 4,746 1.5% 5,078 1.5% 11,598 3.1%
Black or Black British: Caribbean 2,877 3,077 6,837
Black or Black British: African 513 1,465 3,298
Black or Black British: Other Black 1,356 536 1,463
Mixed or British Mixed: Total – – 4,412 1.3% 8,823 2.4%
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean – – 2,009 3,819
Mixed: White and Black African – – 353 1,241
Mixed: White and Asian – – 1,130 1,947
Mixed: Other Mixed – – 920 1,816
Other: Total 1,283 0.4% 867 0.3% 1,684 0.4%
Other: Arab – – – – 579
Other: Any other ethnic group 1,283 0.4% 867 1,105
Total 314,237 100% 345,589 100% 375,101 100%

Age structure

[edit]
Age distribution of West Northamptonshire in 2020[24]
0-9 years 10-19 years 20-29 years 30-39 years 40-49 years 50-59 years 60-69 years 70-79 years 80+ years
52,453 48,857 45,494 52,919 54,387 57,322 43,181 34,676 17,865

Media

[edit]

In terms of television, West Northamptonshire is served by BBC East and ITV Anglia with television signals received from the Sandy Heath transmitter. [28] However, some southwestern parts of the area such as Brackley is served by BBC South and ITV Meridian broadcasting from the Oxford TV transmitter. [29]

Radio stations for the area are:

The area is served by these local newspapers: Northampton Chronicle & Echo, Daventry Express and Banbury Guardian which covers Brackley.

Settlements and parishes

[edit]

For a county-wide list for Northamptonshire see List of places in Northamptonshire

West Northamptonshire is entirely covered by civil parishes, of which there are 166.[30]

Locations

[edit]

The district includes the site of the Roman fortified town of Bannaventa,[31] and the grade I listed stately home Althorp House and its estate.[32]

Arms

[edit]
Coat of arms of West Northamptonshire
Notes
Granted in May 2023.[33]
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.[34][35]
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.[36][37]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Councillors and democracy". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  2. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  3. ^ "Mid-Year Population Estimates, UK, June 2022". Office for National Statistics. 26 March 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  4. ^ a b UK Census (2021). "2021 Census Area Profile – West Northamptonshire Local Authority (E06000062)". Nomis. Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  5. ^ a b Fenton, Trevor (25 April 2023). "Regional gross domestic product: local authorities". Office for National Statistics. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Northampton's parks and historic buildings may be managed by another council after unitary changes". Northampton Chronicle. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2020.
  7. ^ "The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2020/156, retrieved 14 July 2024
  8. ^ "Lieutenancies Act 1997". legislation.gov.uk. The National Archives. 1997 c. 23. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  9. ^ "Northamptonshire County Council: statement". 27 March 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2018.
  10. ^ "Northamptonshire: Unitary authorities plan approved". BBC News. 14 May 2019. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  11. ^ "AT LAST! Northamptonshire's new unitary councils are made law by parliament". Northampton Chronicle. 14 February 2020. Retrieved 18 August 2020.
  12. ^ "West Northamptonshire Council welcomes new Chairman". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ Calkin, Sarah (11 August 2020). "Shadow unitary appoints first chief". Local Government Chronicle. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  15. ^ Council, Northampton Borough. "Councillors agree next steps towards shadow authority preparations". www.northampton.gov.uk.
  16. ^ "Election Maps". Ordnance Survey. Retrieved 12 December 2023.
  17. ^ Area, West Northamptonshire Council-Northampton. "7 May 2020 Elections". www.northampton.gov.uk.
  18. ^ "Northamptonshire councillor wins appeal over Conservatives expulsion". BBC News. 29 April 2022. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ "Your councillors by party". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
  21. ^ "The West Northamptonshire (Electoral Changes) Order 2024", legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives, SI 2025/65, retrieved 24 January 2024
  22. ^ "Contact us". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  23. ^ Heath, Martin (22 January 2024). "Office move 'will save £350k per year' - West Northants Council". BBC News. Retrieved 24 January 2024.
  24. ^ a b c "West Northamptonshire (Unitary District, United Kingdom) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map and Location". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  25. ^ 1991 census data taken from NOMIS which was extracted using the 'local authorities: district / unitary (prior to April 2015)' geography type.
  26. ^ "Office of National Statistics; 2001 Census Key Statistics". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
  27. ^ "2011 Census: Ethnic Group, local authorities in England and Wales". webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  28. ^ "Full Freeview on the Sandy Heath (Central Bedfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  29. ^ "Full Freeview on the Oxford (Oxfordshire, England) transmitter". UK Free TV. 1 May 2004. Retrieved 22 April 2024.
  30. ^ "West Northamptonshire - with parishes". City Population. Retrieved 29 January 2024.
  31. ^ Historic England. "Site of Bannaventa (1003879)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  32. ^ Historic England. "Althorp House (1356626)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 28 August 2023.
  33. ^ "Coat of Arms". West Northamptonshire Council. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  34. ^ "Coat of arms (crest) of West Northamptonshire". Heraldry of the World. 7 January 2024. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  35. ^ "CIVIC HERALDRY OF ENGLAND AND WALES - EAST MIDLANDS REGION". www.civicheraldry.co.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  36. ^ Holland, Kris (23 May 2023). "West Northamptonshire Council: New coat of arms". BBC News. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
  37. ^ "West Northamptonshire Council unveiled its new Coat of Arms | West Northamptonshire Council". www.westnorthants.gov.uk. Retrieved 22 July 2024.
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