Agenda item

Councillor Nunn submitted a report which asked Council to consider making representations to Government on legal, governance and electoral arrangements for transition to a prospective unitary authority for the area.  He then proposed an amendment to the report. 

The first element of the amendment was that the last recommendation detailing that ‘the submission included an expression of in-principle desire for a consequential ‘Section 24 direction’ to apply to all of the Councils, the details of which to be separately agreed between the councils and government.’ be deleted.  The second element referred to Appendix 1 in particular the election cycles.  It was proposed an alternative that elections held in 2020 be for a 5 year term and elections held from 2025 follow the normal County Council electoral cycle.  This would then provide stability while the unitary authority was established.

Councillor Larratt seconded the amendment.

Some councillors discussed the amendment highlighting that Northampton had more residents than Daventry and South Northamptonshire put together.  It was felt that if approved the number of allocated seats would be detrimental to Northampton.  The allocated seats should reflect the population being represented rather than the number on the shadow board.  The re-organisation benefited no one and Northampton should be managed by the people who lived in the town. 

At this point the Mayor called for the amendment to be voted upon.  Two members abstained from the vote the remaining members voted for the amendment.  Upon the vote the amendment was agreed.

Further discussions were then held on the main report.  Some councillors felt that it was the wrong direction for the Council to go in.  The proposals provided too much power to those from outside of the town.  4 members from each authority was a misrepresentation for the people of Northampton.  People did not want to have a West Northamptonshire unitary authority at all.

In the debate it was suggested that the Council was being forced down a path that no one wanted to take and concerns were not being taken account of.  It was queried if the process could be paused while further discussions took place. 

The sentiments of others were agreed with and it was felt that it was being forced on the town.  If the Council was being forced into becoming a unitary authority with other then there was a need to ensure Northampton was represented. 

At this point the Mayor called for the report’s recommendations to be voted upon.  19 members voted for the recommendations.  19 members voted against the recommendations.  Using his casting vote the Mayor voted in favour of the recommendations, therefore the amended recommendations were carried.

The recommendations in the report were agreed as amended.

RESOLVED: That Council agreed:

1.    The preferences for a Structural Changes Order, as per Appendix 1, be included in a submission to Government.

2.    Amendment of the submitted preferences, as arising from negotiations with Government officials, be delegated to the Chief Executive in consultation with the Leader and the Monitoring Officer - where it is not expedient to formally report to Council or duly appointed Committee.

3.    The submission be accompanied by a statement reiterating the Councils’ original position that “Government commits to meeting the significant implementation challenges and ensures that we are collectively equipped to deliver success” as per the Councils’ original Joint Proposal.