Eight council chambers - but not one big enough to hold our new councils

Plus Covid restrictions on polling day and an outline of our election coverage next week

The two new unitary councils do not have a chamber available to hold all their new councillors and so will have to hire venues until they find a solution.

Despite there being eight civic chambers across the county, including the historic county hall and the modern £40m civic cube at Corby, not one of them is currency equipped to house the new councillors bodies. The West will be electing 93 councillors and 78 will make up the North.

Labour’s Danielle Stone who is standing for election to both the new West Northamptonshire Unitary and the new Northampton Town Council has said she has concerns about the lack of a civic home for elected councillors and that it could result in the councils being officer led. She also thinks it is part of an erosion of civic functionality.

Since last March council meetings have been held virtually due to the pandemic. There is currently a government decree that this ends on May 7 and from then on meetings must be held in person.

The North Northamptonshire Cou…