County council leaders have welcomed two new unitary authorities which officially came into existence today in Northamptonshire.

The replacement of the county and district authorities with West Northamptonshire and North Northamptonshire councils will require an investment of £43.5m.

However, it is estimated that the change could bring a yearly budget saving of £85.9m – although officers have cautioned that these figures could change.

Simon Edwards, director of the County Councils Network (CCN), said that the move was an ‘opportunity to look to a brighter future’.

‘The official formation of North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council is an important day for the county and an opportunity to look to a brighter future – delivering high-quality services for residents and spearheading the local recovery from the pandemic,’ he said.

‘That they are in this position today is testament to the hard work from councillors and officers of the shadow authorities during a difficult financial period and a global pandemic. We look forward to welcoming them both into membership and working with them over the coming years.’

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