Friday brief: Unitary councils accused of ‘same old’ policies and ‘no vision’ as they set budgets
Plus a news round up from this week
The two Northants unitary councils have been accused of delivering the same old policies as they set their budgets for the year ahead.
At two separate meetings held at the Corby Cube and Northampton’s Guildhall yesterday, the authorities, which are currently both run by Conservative administrations, came in for a bashing by their political rivals in what will be the last budget setting before the elections.
Both authorities decided to levy a 4.99 per cent increase on the local tax bills, meaning the Band D household in West Northants will from April pay a yearly council tax of £1,866.98 and in North Northants the bill will rise to £1,827.06.
These figures do not include further precepts set by individual town and parish councils or for fire and police services.
West ‘Cruising on autopilot’
In the West Cllr Malcolm Longley, cabinet member for finance, said the council took a “planned and prudent approach” after identifying a funding shortfall of nearly £50m early in the budget-setting process.
“Setting our budget has once again been complex and challenging given the ongoing pressures on public sector finances and the increasing demand for children’s and adult services, which account for 58p in every pound of our budget in the year ahead,” he added.
The extra precept will contribute an extra £19.2m to fund services, while the authority said the budget has grown by £44.2m to £431.8m, including extra investment into adult and children’s social care, temporary accommodation and home-to-school transport.
Savings of £25m have also been identified for 2025/26, which the council says have been made possible through reviewing and changing services to become more efficient.
A general contingency budget of £11.3m has been set aside to cover any future budget risks if and when they arise, which reflects the process followed in previous years.
The financial plans were opposed by other political groups on the council, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats each tabling eight of their own amendments to the budget.
Leader of the Labour group Wendy Randall criticised the budget for doing the ‘same old’.
“I don’t see that we are doing anything different here,” she said. “All we see is costs going up and residents being asked to pay extra to cover those costs. We need to start looking outside of the box.
Her Labour colleague Cllr Keith Holland-Delamere (Billing and Rectory Farm) criticised the ‘pace of change’ in the new unitary for being slow:
“For yet another year we continue to see local government struggling to meet statutory requirements within budgets, with soaring adult social care and more children becoming dependent on council support. But that does not excuse the financial decisions made by the administration in this budget.
“We’re once again cruising on auto-pilot. We need to have a bolder vision for our communities. Hope and a future is longed for already, not more of the same old, same old – we need change.”
He asked the chamber to support his group’s swathe of new measures – including a community skip scheme, additional neighbourhood wardens, improving walkways, offering two hours free parking in underused town centre car parks and employing a social housing officer. The group predicted the measures would cost an extra £1.1m this year.
WNC leader, Cllr Adam Brown disputed that change had been slow, stating that a local government peer review had ‘applauded’ them for the progress made. He added that many of the group’s suggestions needed allocation within existing budgets, not new funding provisions, and that they could look at exploring schemes such as community skips and improving walkways.
The Lib Dems’ eight amendments were also met with hesitation from the chamber, despite murmurs of agreement on some topics. Proposals included investing in counsellors and safeguarding teams in schools, better policy on solar panels being used on farmland, purchasing social housing, and supporting businesses in rural areas.
After going to individual votes, all Labour and Lib Dem amendments were defeated.
Cllr Ian McCord, leader of the Independent group, raised concerns about the children’s trust budget, saying that a history of overspending doesn’t give him ‘confidence’ that the programme of savings would be enough for the immense cost pressures and demand.
The council’s 2025/26 budget was passed with 42 votes in favour, seven against and 12 abstentions.
North ‘Missed opportunity for innovation’
Less than two thirds of the council turned up to the budget meeting, with just 45 of the elected 78 councillors in attendance and no representative from the Green Party three.
The new measures outlined in the budget include an extra £23.7 million into adult social care and £6.2 million into children’s services. Savings of £26.3m have also been identified, notably including increased fees for waste collections, parking charges and home to school transport.
Cllr Lloyd Bunday, executive member for finance and transformation, said: “Financial stability is essential in providing the foundations to deliver services across our area and I’m delighted that following our budget setting process we’re bringing our final proposals for approval at Council.
“While we’re in a good financial position we will need to continue to be mindful of ongoing financial challenges nationally and internationally, along with rising demand for our services.”
Labour proposed a series of amendments to the budget, including a £200k investment into a feasibility study for a new Kettering swimming pool and £140k directed to hiring an additional planning and a further waste enforcement officer for the county.
Cllr Anne Lee (Lab, Windmill), who proposed the projects, told the chamber:
“The executive claims that the budget is balanced. But if by ‘balanced’ they mean higher Council Tax, slashed services, and increasingly tough times ahead, then sure it balances. However, it does so on the backs of working families and struggling communities.”
She said her party’s proposals for a feasibility study for a pool would provide ‘critical insights’ into how the council could provide a better facility for residents, and that new dedicated officers would “signal that this council means business” on planning and waste issues.
However, NNC leader Jason Smithers criticised the Labour group for coming in ‘at the last minute’ with uncosted suggestions. He also accused the group of being ‘hypocritical’ on the swimming pool amendment, saying that it was their government that cancelled the £5m of funding for cultural projects in North Northants last year.
Responding to Cllr Lee’s comments, Cllr Bunday said:
“We have not slashed services, we have safeguarded the services of this council. You’ve got plenty of criticisms of what we’ve done wrong but you have actually stated any solutions as to what you would do to put it right.
“I proposed a balanced budget in excess of £827m [including the Dedicated Schools Grant] and sadly the only amendments that could be put forward was an unbudgeted £340k.”
After going to individual votes, the chamber discarded both proposals and members returned to debating the original budget paper.
Cllr Martin Griffiths, who defected to the Reform party at the end of last year, said that the increase in council tax was “totally unacceptable” and would bring “further hardship” to communities. He also criticised the budget for the ‘perilous state’ of the highways with their “very own two-tier Kier” roads contractor, saying that the authority needs to re-negotiate and actively scrutinise Kier’s performance.
Cllr Smithers said the balanced budget was achieved due to the “prudent financial stewardship” of the council over this term.
He added:
“Although this meeting is about looking forward and how we budget to deliver important services to our residents in the year ahead, it would be remiss of me in our last budget council of this term not to take the opportunity to reflect on the impact our decisions here have made to North Northamptonshire.
“Since 2021 we’ve invested approximately £182m to protect vital services and deliver service improvements. This investment reflects our commitment to those in our communities who are the most vulnerable and in need of our support.”
Cllr Jim Hakewill (Independent, Rothwell and Mawsley) told the chamber that there had been ‘more spin on this budget than you would find in a laundrette’. He criticised NNC for stating that it had put forward a balanced budget every year, despite repeated overspends in the Northamptonshire Children’s Trust (NCT).
Last year, NNC invested an extra £15.1m in its children’s services. However, based on modelling carried out in December 2024, the council is still predicting a £5.6m overspend in the NCT at the year end.
Cllr John McGhee (Labour, Kingswood) said there had been a ‘missed opportunity’ for innovation in the budget.
“I’ve heard many budgets and this must be the most boring I’ve heard in my life,” he said. “I’ve never heard one single thing that people can grasp at and say ‘that’s going to make a difference in my life’.
“There’s no vision on houses, there’s no vision in sorting out the horrific potholes in the North Northants area, there’s no vision in sorting out all of the planning issues, and there’s no vision in helping our young people.”Cllr William Colquhoun (Labour, Lloyds) agreed, calling the financial settlement a “very pedestrian, plod along budget”.
Responding, Cllr Helen Harrison (Conservative, Oundle) said:
“To turn your nose up and to act like no changes are being made and that services across the board are all getting worse is absolute rubbish.
”The only way that we are able to continue delivering services without cutting them is because we are innovating. We are producing the same level of service and better with less and less money- if that’s not innovation, I don’t know what is.”
The council’s 2025/26 budget was passed with 32 in favour, 12 against and one abstention.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
News in brief:
Northampton locals whose homes were flooded almost six months ago have criticised the council for a lack of support and answers, after being forced to vacate their properties and being left essentially ‘homeless’.
Residents living near Dallington Brook were heavily impacted by the flooding that took place across the county last September. Still faced with gutted-out homes and anxiety about the future, homeowners have complained that the council has ‘left them in the dark’ and not provided enough support since the downpour last year.
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) said it is prioritising working with partners to find sustainable, long-term solutions to ensure residents’ welfare. It added that residents experiencing hardship may be able to apply for a council tax reduction on a case-by-case basis.
Alan Walters, who has lived in his Northampton home for over a decade, said that it would likely be another six months before he’s able to move back in.
He said:
“We don’t appear to have had any support from our local council whatsoever and when we turn to them for help, in particular on paying council tax, we seem to have drawn a blank. We’re still left in the dark and when you chase the council you’re just given the runaround.”
Dallington local Marjorie Cook has lived in her now-empty home for 20 years. She said she had to spend her first Christmas out of the property in 2024.
She told the LDRS:
“We are homeless because [the council] didn’t clean the drains out- and it’s a long time to be homeless. I’ve rented on a short-term lease, and I’m out now and need to find somewhere else. It’s not easy and it’s just expensive.
“Nothing seems to be happening. If they haven’t done anything, we’re going to be flooded again and that’s something that’s really concerning for everyone in the village.”
Questions have been raised by the community on what actually happened on the day of the floods, with many blaming the council’s failure to unblock drains and wanting to see a full root cause analysis.
A spokesperson for West Northamptonshire Council said:
“West Northamptonshire Council understands that flooding can have a significant impact on people’s lives and in November we reaffirmed our commitment to tackling the risks and impacts of flooding in West Northamptonshire.
“Government has confirmed that the Council is not eligible for statutory flood support. We are prioritising working with partners to find sustainable, long-term solutions ensuring that the welfare of residents and livelihoods of businesses are at the centre.
“There are no statutory discounts available to people suffering flood damage, and we would always encourage residents to contact their insurance provider for financial support in the first instance. However, residents that are experiencing hardship due to the impact of flooding may be able to apply for a Council Tax reduction under our hardship policy. Each applicant is considered on a case-by-case basis and more information is available on our website.
WNC did not directly comment on the drain accusations.
Report by Nadia Lincoln
A derelict former factory site in Northamptonshire could be sold on to a major national supermarket, after standing empty for nearly three decades.
The former Lawrence’s factory in Desborough, owned by North Northamptonshire Council (NNC), looks likely to become owned by the Co-op store, although the retailer has not confirmed whether a store will be built on the site.
Since its closure as a shoe factory in the 1990s, the building has gone through many different plans for potential redevelopment. These included becoming a Tesco supermarket, receiving an expression of interest from Aldi, and more recently developing a council-led social housing project.
The now-defunct Kettering Borough Council originally bought the site in 2005. It was put up for sale by its predecessor NNC in 2023 after various options were explored and it was judged that a council housing redevelopment would not be ‘viable’. An online listing for the building saw the site marketed at £1.25 million.
The Co-op has confirmed its intention to acquire the site for development and work with NNC to bring a project forward “that supports local needs while contributing positively to the town’s future”.
Cllr Howes (Cons) said there had been retail interest in the property, but that a covenant placed on the land by the Co-Op many years ago was an obstacle to other supermarkets purchasing the site.
In a post about the Co-Op opportunity on his public Facebook page, Cllr Howes wrote ‘this isn’t the outcome I had hoped for as we already have a Co-Op offering in the town and we had hoped we could attract something different to give residents another choice.”
An NNC spokesperson said:
“North Northamptonshire Council has been considering the future of the site in Desborough, known locally as the former Lawrence’s factory site, for many years and have explored all options for the site including housing and retail.
“Last year, the council identified the site as surplus to requirements and the Executive approved for the site to be marketed on the open market. As a result of this process, we are currently going through the final stages of this sale. It is anticipated that the sale will be completed in the coming months.”
A Co-op spokesperson said:
“Central Co-op is pleased to confirm that we are working with North Northamptonshire Council to agree terms to acquire the former Lawrence Factory site in Desborough.
“While we are not yet in a position to share full details of our plans, we are committed to working closely with the Council, local community and our valued Central Co-op Members to develop a project that brings lasting benefits to Desborough.
“Our goal is to create a space that supports local needs while contributing positively to the town’s future, and we look forward to sharing more details in due course as our plans progress.”
Report by Nadia Lincoln
Corby’s MP Lee Barron has written to the policing minister to say there is a need for a new ‘fully resourced’ police station in the town.
The growing town’s station was closed in 2017 and currently the only way Corby residents can report a crime in person is at a desk at the Corby Cube, which is open just two days a week. The MP, who was elected in July has raised the issue with the chief constable, the police, fire and crime commissioner and now has requested a meeting with policing minister Diana Johnson.
The story of a group of Corby families long fight for justice after their children were born with defects caused by the cleanup of toxic waste, will air on Netflix this week. The show, which is written by Jack Thorne and stars Doctor Who’s Jodie Whittaker and Corby’s own Brendan Coyle, has been chosen as the Guardian’s pick of the week.
I’m extremely disappointed to read that the councillors’ turnout was so poor and that one party had no one there.
Lee Barron is absolutely correct. To have a town the size of Corby without a police station is ludicrous. The town is also mocked by the original police station, in Elizabeth Street, standing empty and unused. Presumably, although unused, there are maintenance costs.