Dan Peters 14 May 2019

Delay to Northamptonshire reorganisation welcomed

Council leaders have welcomed the year-long delay to plans to create two new unitaries in Northamptonshire.

Proposals from local government secretary James Brokenshire had envisaged the new councils being fully operational from 1 April 2020 but the unitaries will now not be established until April 2021.

Commissioners will continue to support Northamptonshire CC and a children’s trust will also be created covering the whole county to ‘ensure continued improvement of the fragile children’s social care service’.

A joint statement from the leaders of the eight councils that will be abolished said the delay ‘gives us more time to plan carefully and confidently for the future’.

It read: ‘We have been working hard towards an anticipated 2020 vesting day but that was always going to be a tight timetable to meet if we were going to transform services as well as ensuring that they were safe and legal on that date.’

In a written Parliamentary statement, Mr Brokenshire said: ‘While I recognise that a delay in implementation will mean potential savings estimated in the proposal will not be realised for another year I am clear that the extended implementation period means we can be confident that there will be a safe and effective transition to all the new service delivery arrangements across the whole of the area.’

Mr Brokenshire admitted that responses to the proposal from businesses, members of the public, parish councils and community organisations had been ‘mixed’ – with less than half of more than 6,000 people who responded to an open questionnaire supporting the two unitary proposal – but insisted the changes would ‘improve local government and service delivery in the area’.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Public Health

Royal Borough of Greenwich
Up to £131,210
The Public Health department is at the heart of the council’s business. Greenwich, London (Greater)
Recuriter: Royal Borough of Greenwich

Head of Regeneration and Growth

Plymouth City Council
£68,387 - £74,411 (MFS and relocation available, pay award pending)
This is a unique opportunity to lead our award-winning development team and directly deliver hundreds of millions of pounds of projects. Plymouth, Devon
Recuriter: Plymouth City Council

Director of Adult Social Care

Wiltshire Council
£119,390 - £127,137
Join us as the Director of Adult Social Care and make a real difference to people’s lives. Wiltshire
Recuriter: Wiltshire Council

Assistant Director Planning, Performance & Engagement

East Sussex County Council
up to £97,700
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Director of Finance & Commerce

Lancashire County Council
Up to £114,339
You will play a critical role in driving the organisation through complex change and innovation. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire County Council
Linkedin Banner