Both Northants unitary councils among troubled group given government concessions
Plus other news from around the county
The West and North unitary councils have been given a package of ‘exceptional financial support’ from central government.
The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) announced yesterday afternoon that the two authorities were among a list of 19 that would be given ‘exceptional financial support’.
West Northamptonshire Council will receive £6.6m and the North will receive £3.9m. However it is unclear currently exactly how this will work as capitalisation is the process by which councils are allowed to sell off assets and use the funds for day-to-day spending. (The former county council was famously allowed to do this when it sold off its flagship headquarters just months after opening, using the multi millions to plug a hole and then renting back the building).
Both are currently predicting a budget overspend this year and have had to go into contingency reserves, with the majority of the overspend going on children’s services, which are operated by an independent trust. They were formed in 2021 after the collapse of the former county council - the first in the country to go bust in two decades.
The authorities are on a list with councils that have collapsed financially in recent times, including Birmingham and Thurrock.
However yesterday, when we asked the two councils whether residents should be worried about the financial health of the authorities, we had the following response from the North unitary leader Jason Smithers:
“The Exceptional Financial Support of £3.9m announced today, is supporting the continued delivery of Local Government Reform and transformation of services within North Northamptonshire, originally provided to Northamptonshire County Council, as part of a wider capitalisation direction granted in 2021.
“The extension of this funding is welcome and will support North Northamptonshire Council in the ongoing delivery of an effective and efficient council.“This was not a request for new support, but continuation of existing funding that was already approved.”
The scant detail published by the government yesterday has indicated the support is for the forthcoming financial year, suggesting the councils both need to use asset sales or new borrowing to balance the books. As previously reported by NN Journal the legacy debt of the county council has still not been split, with auditors warning the matter needs to be sorted out urgently. However the councils will head into legal arbitration to do so, as they have been unable to reach agreement.
We have asked the DLUHC for a response about the criteria and will report further once we receive it.
News in brief:
The woman who died at an address in Chalcombe Avenue, Northampton, has been named as 37-year-old Valentyna Horshkova.
Northamptonshire Police was called to an address at Rhymer House in Chalcombe Avenue at about 8.40pm on Saturday, February 17, following a report that Valentyna had died in unexplained circumstances.
An investigation was launched and a 45-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of murder. He has been released on bail pending further enquiries.
Senior investigating officer, detective inspector Simon Barnes, said:
“We continue to thoroughly investigate the circumstances surrounding Valentyna’s death and our thoughts remain with her family at this time.
“Although we are not looking for anyone else in connection with her death, I would still appeal to anyone with any information to come forward. You can do this either by contacting us on 101 or ringing Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.”
Northamptonshire Police has launched an investigation into its handling of the Harry Dunn case.
The teenage motorcyclist was killed by American Anne Sacoolas in August 2019, who was driving on the wrong side of on the road near RAF Croughton.
She fled, and claimed diplomatic immunity. His family had to fight a long battle to ensure she faced charges and last year she was convicted of death by dangerous driving.
This week the family has said they have only just become aware some of Harry’s belongings being kept by police. Some contained remnants of human tissue and so the family will have a second cremation for Harry today. His mother Charlotte says the family has been re-traumatised by the situation.
Suspended chief constable Nick Adderley was in charge throughout the incident and publicly fell out with the family after he made comments on social media.
The investigation has been ordered by his stand in Ivan Balhatchet.
The councillor in charge of finances at ‘over budget’ West Northamptonshire Council had wanted the authority to pay his costs for a planning appeal, but has been refused.
Despite warning of the tightness of budgets, Conservative Malcolm Longley had put in a claim for the authority, to pick up the tab for the cost of his planning appeal. As the appeal was refused he won’t have his costs repaid.
Cllr Longley had wanted to build two homes in a village conservation area in West Haddon.
The government’s planning inspectorate ruled that the homes would ‘unacceptably harm the character and appearance’ of the village. Plans were laid out for two two-storey family homes, one being a four-bedroom property and the other comprising two bedrooms, intended as affordable housing.
The appeal was lodged by Mr Longley through his company McGowan Investments Ltd on the basis that planning officers at West Northamptonshire Council failed to issue a decision within the allotted timeframe. The initial planning application for the two houses was lodged in September 2022, however there is a history of applications and appeals for the same site, also submitted by his company.
A previous application of to build a cottage on the same piece of land was retrospectively refused in June 2022 after the Daventry Planning Committee approved the scheme against officers’ advice. It was found that granting planning permission would likely have been unlawful due to concerns about the Tree Preservation Order.
Based on a report by Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
Recommendations of local interest reads
Nenequirer journalist and University of Northampton lecturer Hilary Scoles has written a behind the scenes of the Wellingborough by-election.
And Helen Harrison has given her view to ConservativeHome about why she thinks she lost the byelection, pointing to a sexist campaign against her from the media.
Trying to assist their remaining MP’s keep their jobs?
Thanks for the recommendation Sarah, and shocked at the brass neck of Longley!