Friday brief: ‘I think we’ve got the best man, why would I go looking for another?’

Northamptonshire’s chief constable to retire and then be rehired, plus more on the closure of a specialist care centre in Rushden and some things to do this weekend

Dec 02, 2022

Nick Adderley looks likely to continue in post. Northants police pic.

A proposal has been put forward by the county’s crime commissioner to allow Northamptonshire’s chief constable to retire and then be hired again for another two and a half year contract.

Nick Adderley’s time in post will be up next year, and at yesterday’s police and crime panel meeting, Conservative crime commissioner Stephen Mold outlined his suggestion to allow Adderley, who is coming up to his 30 years service in the police, to retire, take a month break, and then come back.

The proposal is due to current financial rules which would mean that Adderley’s pension would have been affected if he just extended his contract. In this instance he may be able to draw a tax free lump sum down from his pension and then return to the role without making pension contributions.

At the meeting commissioner Mold said he had every confidence in Adderley.

He told the panel:

‘I think we’ve got the best man, why would I go looking for another?’

Ultimately the panel, which is made up of appointed councillors and a few independent people, makes the decision about whether to reappoint Adderley, who is currently under a five year contract which is due to end next summer.

Mold said Adderley would be put forward as his preferred candidate and he also said he would be installing an interim chief constable from outside the force. The force does not currently have a deputy chief constable to step into the role. (NN Journal understands the former deputy constable Simon Blatchly is moving on to another force).

Since he has been in post Adderley has made a name for himself and has a large social media following.

However he has made some gaffes, with his comment about checking in people’s shopping trollies during the covid lockdown receiving attention from the national media and Harry Dunn’s family also called for his resignation after a tweet he made concerning their civil action against the US government.

Under his leadership the force has improved in certain areas but is still rated as requiring improvement by the policing inspectorate.

The ‘retire and rehire’ practice is already established in Northamptonshire.

The county’s chief fire officer Darren Dovey was allowed to continue in the role under this arrangement. It is however not popular with unions, who say the practice prevents other officers from progressing up to the top job.

Mold said Adderley was ‘the best man’ for the job

News in brief

North Northamptonshire Council has responded to the proposed closure of a specialist care centre in Rushden, saying the decision has been made by the West unitary authority.

Staff at Spinneyfields Specialist Care Centre in Rushden were told last Friday about plans to shut down the centre, which was built under a controversial PFI scheme in the early 2000s and for several years had many empty beds.

It was taken over by the West unitary last May, and discussions with the North unitary to take over the provision have not gone anywhere.

Cllr Helen Harrison who has responsibility for adult social care said in a statement to NN Journal:

“The decision to close Spinneyfields has not been taken by NNC as the council has no direct role in running the service, but we will continue to work diligently with our partners to ensure that there remains sufficient reablement provision to meet the needs of our population in North Northamptonshire, when decisions taken by care providers may have an impact on them.”

The authority is however looking at taking over the running of the Thackley Green Specialist Care Centre in Corby.

Northamptonshire Black Communities Together is working in partnership with Northamptonshire Sport to create a new NBCT Moving Together forum and strategy to be rolled out over the next two years in the county.

To launch the forum, Black organisations are invited to apply for grants of up to £2500 to support members of the community increase physical activity between January and September 2023.

For more information visit www.northamptonshiresport.org/funding/nbct

Westminster Watch

South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom presented a petition in the house of commons this week about rural bus services.

She read out the petition which said:

. . . there are grave concerns about reductions of Stagecoach bus services in the South Northamptonshire constituency. The 41 Stagecoach bus route provides access to a GP practice, the University of Northampton, a terminal station and other local conveniences; further that it is a lifeline for the elderly and those who do not own a car; and further that this reduction in service has severely curbed independence for those living in rural villages, cutting individuals off from family, friends, employment, education and medical care.

The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urge the Government to allocate further support for rural bus routes like the 41 Stagecoach, and to safeguard against any future reductions in services that keep our communities connected.

NN Culture

💣,There’ll be punk and Ska classics played by the Fevers at the gig taking place tomorrow night at the Wayfarers in London Road, Kettering. From 9pm.

💃Soul II Soul will be performing at Northampton’s roadmender tomorrow from 7.30pm.

🎄There’s a Christmas market on Sunday at Welford Village Hall. Entry is free.

Thanks for spotting

We published a story yesterday about Sam Hagen, a Corby councillor who played a key part in helping Corby families whose children had been born with birth defects, get justice.

Thanks to those who flagged up a few typos in the story. Those have now been amended and the corrected story can be read here.

Apologies to John Grisham fans!

NN Journal