Friday brief: Arrests made after teenager killed in Northampton
Here's our end of the week news round up
A 21 year old has been arrested on suspicion of killing a teenager in Northampton.
Police said this afternoon that the man remains in custody after being arrested on suspicion of murder last night. Three other people, two men aged 56 and 19 and a woman, 51, have also been arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
The teenager died at an address in Adnitt Road, in the Abington area of Northampton on Tuesday evening after being stabbed. The emergency services attended and members of the public tried to help but the boy, who has not been named, sadly died at the scene.
Police have said a post mortem has concluded the boy died of a stab wound.
Detective Chief Inspector Ryan Catling, from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said:
“As people would expect, we have been working around the clock since Tuesday evening to establish what happened in Adnitt Road and who was responsible.
“This is a complex investigation which has seen us conduct warrants at a number of addresses in Northampton, including in Salcey Street and Thorn Hill Walk, while also speaking to witnesses, interrogate CCTV footage and search locations of interest.
“A post-mortem examination has taken place and concluded the 16-year-old boy died as a result of a stab wound.”
Members of the public who may have any information about the incident and who haven’t already done so are being encouraged to contact the police.
DCI Catling added:
“I understand this is a concerning time for residents, and I want to reassure you that we are doing all we can to find those responsible and bring them to justice.
“Our investigation is progressing, but we would still like to hear from anyone who was in the area near Adnitt Road between 6.30pm and 7pm on Tuesday, July 7, and saw anyone acting suspiciously.
“Please don’t assume someone else has told us what you know, we would rather receive the same information multiple times than not at all.
“We would also like anyone who was driving in the area at the time and has dash cam footage to please share it with us.”
Witnesses or anyone with information are asked to contact Northamptonshire Police on 101 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
This is the second murder in the town in a week.
Paul Hughes, 59 died after being seriously assaulted at town centre pub The Old Bank in the early hours of Sunday.
Louie Oliver, 22, of Holdout Lane, Sywell, has been charged with his murder and appeared at the town’s magistrates court on Wednesday.
Paul’s adult sons Ieuan and Iestyn and their mother, Samantha, who was with him when he died in hospital, said:
“He was everything you’d want a dad to be. He adored us and always actively supported and enabled us in whatever we did. He loved us wholly, with all his heart, and we felt it. Whether it was the early Sunday morning drives to sports team training or spoiling us on birthdays or taking us on adventures, he was always our biggest supporter.
“Our dad had a massive heart. His love and care knew no limits, and he was fiercely loyal to those he called friends or family. He was selfless and generous, and even after his death, he continued giving by donating his kidneys and liver to change the lives of people he would never get to meet.
“Dad was very active his entire life. He made lifelong friends at Dallington Country Club and played many rugby games for Northampton Casuals and Mens Own, earning himself quite a reputation and the nickname ‘Spit’.
“We want to thank everyone who has reached out offering support, condolences, or sharing memories of Dad with us since his death. They have been a great source of comfort and seeing how loved he is by so many people is in equal parts heart-warming and heart-breaking.”
Other news
Corby is in the running to become the UK’s first Town of Culture.
The former steel town will now, along with the other 14 shortlisted finalists, receive £60,000 to work up a full bid. 400 towns entered the competition, with Northampton also putting in a bid but failing to get through to the next stage.
Corby is in the small town’s category along with Stockton, Strabane, Isle of Bute, Lerwick, Sandown and Ilfracombe.
There are also medium and large town categories, with a finalist selected from each and an overall winner announced next year.
The vice chancellor of Northampton’s financially under pressure university has penned an open letter to MPs and council leaders to highlight the benefit of international students.
Anne-Marie Kilday, who has been in charge since August 2022, has appealed to the politicians to engage with her organisation about policies which could affect student numbers.
She said analysis had indicated that international students contribute a net economic benefit of around £149m due to spending locally.
The number of international students coming to the UK has dropped significantly in recent years due to restrictive government immigration policies, which is leading to many universities suffering financially, having to cut back courses and lay off staff.
The University of Northampton is currently consulting on redundancy for an undisclosed number of staff.
Ms Kilday said:
“At a time when economic growth and strong public finances are national priorities, it is important that policy decisions affecting international students are informed by evidence demonstrating that they are net contributors to the UK economy, supporting employment, local businesses and world-class universities across the country.
“I therefore encourage all Members of Parliament and Council Leaders to continue engaging with universities, businesses and sector stakeholders to ensure that future immigration and higher education policies recognise and support the economic and social contribution made by international students.
“Northamptonshire benefits from being part of a globally connected higher education sector. By continuing to welcome talented students from around the world, we can strengthen economic growth, develop future skills, support local employers and reinforce the UK’s reputation as a leading destination for education, research and innovation. I hope that we can work together to ensure these opportunities continue to benefit our County and our country in the years ahead.
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Anglian Water has today announced a temporary hosepipe ban.
The water company says it is in response to a lack of rain and the reservoirs being at low levels. The ban applies to domestic use of hosepipes for activities such as filling pools and hot tubs, washing cars, windows and watering the garden.
A man who helped expose Northamptonshire chief constable’s CV lies, has died.
Simon Tilley, 45, who was convicted last month on a child sex offence charge, was found dead at a Corby hotel on Friday, July 3.
He was convicted at Stafford Crown Court and had always protested his innocence.
In 2021 he had shared an image with a boy who the trial was told he believed was 13, but who was an undercover officer.
Northants Police then say he began a stalking and harassment campaign against a number of officers to try and ‘derail’ the criminal prosecution. Tilley was also found guilty of stalking and perverting the course of justice.
He had been due to be sentenced in September.
His family paid tribute to him on social media and said they were struggling to come to terms with losing someone who meant so much to them.
The sale of the Northampton Guildhall extension to the town council is still under discussion.
Last summer, West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) advertised the modern Guildhall extension for sale and told Northampton Town Council (NTC) it must move out of its civic home. In November NTC agreed in principle to purchase a long-term headlease of the extension, subject to further work on feasibility and costings.
A confidential report, which went to the town council’s policy and finance committee on Wednesday set out the draft Heads of Terms for the lease of part of the historic Guildhall, where the town council currently operates from in the lower west wing and the upstairs court room, and the entire Guildhall extension.
According to the discussion, the town council has been offered a 250-year lease on the historic Guildhall space at a peppercorn rent, but would have to pay a service charge and contribute to a sink fund alongside WNC to cover the costs of any major external building repairs. A break clause for NTC on the historic building is also included.
The modern extension has also been offered to the town council on a 250-year headlease. The exact cost of this purchase was not revealed at the meeting, but the town clerk said that NTC would be “paying premium” for complete control over the use of the three-storey building, central courtyard and underground car parking.
Previous town council reports stated that the likely purchase figure for the extension was reported as £1.2 million.
It was suggested that the ground floor of the extension would be used as a community hub and town council space, supplemented by offering commercial and office space for local businesses and groups upstairs.
Town councillor Andy Kilbride told the meeting that he had “big concerns” about NTC taking over the Guildhall in its entirety.
He added:
“Morally, I find it wrong that the people of Northampton paid for the Guildhall, then it was gifted to West Northants Council for us to then pay a substantial amount for the lease for 250 years.”
Cllr Taylor Cowley-Coulton also said residents should be consulted on the plans: “After this stage, when we’ve got full costings, we need to go to residents and say do you want this or not, because at the end of the day, potentially there’s a chance that we could take on significant debt because of this.”
The town council agreed to continue with the purchase of the Guildhall space, with the town clerk saying it would “kick start” further work of creating a business plan and procuring condition surveys of the buildings.
It was stressed that it is not a binding decision and that the town council will reconvene to fully approve the leases and enter into agreements with WNC once full costings are known.
A financial update report, written by WNC cabinet member Cllr John Slope, going to full council on Monday also references the sale of the Guildhall extension.
Though it states that the Heads of Terms are being actively negotiated with NTC, it also offers a backup option that “should this not progress, there are commercial parties with good interest”, or an option to use the building for commissioned service delivery.
Previous listings for the building when it was being marketed for sale said it had a “diverse range” of potential uses, such as a boutique hotel operator, an events venue, residential, restaurant, or office accommodation.
By Nadia Lincoln, local democracy reporter
Plans to build a large solar site on farmland just outside Northampton are set for approval.
The 78-acre site, which is set in a large field, is located near the village of Preston Deanery and around 200 metres south of the Brackmills Industrial estate. If approved, the solar farm would contain 48,802 panels, 10 power stations, and a grid connection point.
According to the plans, this would generate approximately 26.597 megawatts of electricity.
The proposals will go before West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) strategic planning committee at a meeting on Tuesday, July 14. Though planning officers have recommended that the committee grant permission, it will be down to councillors to weigh up the benefits and harms of the scheme and decide whether it should be allowed.
Just one objection from a member of the public has been submitted to the scheme, questioning whether a badger survey had been undertaken on the fields.
The applicant, Grange Farm Partnership, said:
“The proposal would provide a clean, renewable and sustainable form of electricity. This is a public benefit which should be afforded significant weight in the planning balance.
“Gain would be provided through the generation of local electricity that would be connected directly to the local grid, with the proposals reducing reliance upon overseas energy sources in line with government directives.”
It also said the development would provide employment and opportunities for local businesses contracted to build out the site during construction.
Officers said the site would deliver a significant renewable energy scheme which would make a meaningful contribution towards national and local objectives, improve energy security and support the transition to a low-carbon economy.
“Whilst the proposal would result in localised landscape and visual harm and the temporary loss of agricultural land from crop production, these impacts are not considered to be unacceptable and can be appropriately mitigated,” the report added.
“When weighed against the substantial public benefits arising from the generation of renewable energy, biodiversity enhancements and the contribution towards achieving national net zero objectives, officers conclude that the benefits of the proposal decisively outweigh the identified harms.”
The report also highlights a time-limit condition on the use of the field, stating that permission for the site to be used as a solar farm will expire 40 years after electricity is first exported to the grid.
WNC’s strategic planning committee will meet at 2pm on July 14 at the Towcester Forum to determine the application.
By Nadia Lincoln
NN Events
🍎 The Northamptonshire Biodiversity & Regenerative Food Festival is taking place for the first time at Beckets Park, Northampton tomorrow (July 11) from 10.30am to 4pm. The free event will feature produce from organic bakers and makers.
🏴 The annual Corby Highland Gathering is being held this weekend in Corby’s old village. Entry is £5.
Volunteers can help test Corby’s soil and water tomorrow (July 11) as charity Earthwatch Europe is hosting another citizen science event to test for heavy metals. Anyone interested should attend Weldon Village Hall for 10.30am and can register here.