Friday brief: West Northants will not follow the North on councillor pay rises
Leader Jonathan Nunn said there were no plans to increase councillor allowances
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The leader of West Northamptonshire Council Jonathan Nunn last night confirmed there was ‘no intent to look afresh at allowances’ following anger over a decision in the North that will see councillors receive an eleven per cent increase.
Lib Dem leader Cllr Sally Beardsworth raised the issue at a full council meeting saying:
“Recently North Northants has awarded themselves a huge pay rise…in this climate and at this moment I think it would be terrible for us to follow suit. I hope I have your reassurance that we won’t be doing anything like that.”
In response Nunn said:
“I’m not here to defend anybody, I understand their independent panel did their review last year and recommended a review after 12 months which is what they’ve done. Let me just talk for us, for myself…I suspect we would be unanimous among all the parties and the independents, at this point it is not the time to consider revisions or certainly increases to ours.”
Another decision from the North unitary to be referenced during the meeting was its proposals to increase its number of councillors. In the West the conversation is around cutting numbers. Independent councillor Ian McCord said:
“It will be interesting to see what the Boundary Commission make of a proposal from us to come down from 93 to 77 and a proposal from our friends in the North who, I think frankly, are smoking dope if they think they are going to go up from 76 to 99 - I think that’s complete madness.”
News in brief
The fundraiser for Corby five-year-old Florence Bark has now reached more than £212,000.
Florence was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia in May and people from across the county have been fundraising to raise money for private treatment in the event that a bone marrow transplant does not work. Florence is currently without a donor match and her family are asking for people to join the bone marrow register.
People can donate to the appeal here and there are also links to register as a bone marrow donor.
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/bemorefab
A man has appeared in court after being charged with the attempted murder of a Wellingborough police officer. Max Hallam, 57, of High Street, Irthlingborough, was also charged with causing intentional suffocation following an incident in Wellingborough town centre at 11am on Tuesday. He was remanded into custody after an appearance at Northampton Magistrates’ Court and will next appear before Northampton Crown Court on August 12.
Northants police say the officer sustained a number of facial injuries after the attack in a car park in the Commercial Way area of the town and Chief Constable Nick Adderley tweeted yesterday that the officer is doing well
Weston Favell food bank in Northampton is seeking donations. The organisation says the cost of living crisis is causing an increase in demand as well as less food being donated.
Skateboarding could be allowed once more in Kettering town centre after one of North Northamptonshire Council’s executive advisory panels had made a recommendation to the executive. The Public Space Protection Order, that has been in place in Kettering since 2016, had among other restrictions banned skateboarders and also under 18s from being in the area between 11pm and 6am. Police and the town council have previously said the ban had been too restrictive and the matter will now go to the executive on July 14.
Westminster Watch
South Northamptonshire MP Andrea Leadsom has come in for some criticism this week for accusing an anti Brexit activist of engaging in ‘violent’ protest.
Stephen Bray, who has been making his vocal opposition to Bexit known outside the Palace of Westminster via loudspeaker for the past six years, had his hifi equipment seized by police. They were using new powers under the Police Crime Sentencing and Courts Act which came into force this week and he was informed he was forbidden from conducting a ‘noisy protest’.
Leadsom tweet was called out by many, who said she had libelled Bray by accusing him of violence when that was not the case
NN Culture
🎵 Tribute band The Smyths are playing at the Roadmender, Northampton tonight from 7.30pm
🎨 A street art workshop for teenagers is happening in Kings Cliffe tomorrow
🎭 A production of Wind in the Willows is being staged at Joy Mead Gardens tomorrow from 6pm
There needs to be a proper debate in the West Northamptonshire area regarding the numbers of councillors in the council.
Many councillors find the amount of work they have to deal with is challenging as it is without a reduction in numbers and the increase in work when the Integrated Care proposals are added to their workload
Surprising show of good judgement by the West ... but they're not having their strings pulled by the deadly duo of money-grubbers Bone and Pursglove as far as I know