Local government in Northampton

Northampton Borough Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Non-metropolitan district council of Northampton
Leadership
Leader
David Mackintosh, Conservative
since 2011
Deputy Leader
Mary Markham, Conservative
since 2013
Mayor
John Caswell, Conservative
since 2014
Deputy Mayor
Penelope Flavell, Conservative
since 2014
Structure
Seats 45
Political groups
      Conservative Party (25)
     Labour Party (14)
     Liberal Democrats (5)
     UK Independence Party (1)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
 5 May 2011
Meeting place
The Guildhall, St. Giles Square, Northampton
Website
www.northampton.gov.uk

Northampton Borough Council is the borough council and non-metropolitan district responsible for local government in the large town of Northampton in England. The leader and cabinet model of decision-making has been adopted by the council. It consists of 45 councillors, representing 33 wards in the town, overseen by a Mayor, Leader and Cabinet. It is currently controlled by the Conservative Party and has been led by David Mackintosh since his election on 6 May 2011. The main council building is Northampton Guildhall.

As a non-metropolitan district, the council is responsible for local planning and building control, local roads, council housing, environmental health, markets and fairs, refuse collection and recycling, cemeteries and crematoria, leisure services, parks, and tourism.

History

Northampton was granted its first town charter in 1189 by King Richard I and was permitted the appointment of a Mayor in 1215 by King John. Northampton first existed as an ancient borough in medieval Britain before being one of the 178 boroughs to be reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835. Under the Local Government Act, it was then recognised as a county borough of 6 wards from 1898, 9 wards from 1900 and 12 wards from 1911.[1] Northampton was granted modern borough status in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as Northampton Borough Council, a non-metropolitan district council under Northamptonshire County Council.[2][3]

Northampton is now the most populous urban district in England not to be administered as a unitary authority, a status it failed to obtain in the 1990s local government reform.[4] During the Local Government Commission for England (1992), Northampton was rejected from becoming a unitary authority because it was decided that "the separation of Northampton from its county would have a significant and detrimental effect."[5][6][7] The government announced its acceptance of these recommendations in March 1996.[8] In 2000, Northampton applied unsuccessfully for city status, held to celebrate the new millennium.

Governance

The leader and cabinet model of decision-making, adopted by the borough council under the Local Government Act 2000, is similar to national government. The council appoints the Leader (usually a member of the group with the political majority) and he or she appoints up to five other councillors to serve on the cabinet. The cabinet members assume responsibility for different key areas of local governance including environment; community engagement; housing; planning, regeneration and enterprise; and finance.

The full council meets various times a year. The full council set the annual budget and the council's overall policies. It also has responsibility for amendments to the council's constitution and is responsible for appointing the Leader, the Executive, and the Committees of the council.

Cabinet members

Title Cabinet member Assistant Cabinet member
Leader of the Council David Mackintosh N/A
Deputy Leader of the Council Mary Markham N/A
Community Engagement Brandon Eldred Anna King
Environment Mike Hallam Brian Oldham
Finance Alan Bottwood N/A
Housing Mary Markham Matt Lynch
Planning, Regeneration and Enterprise Tim Hadland Jonathan Nunn

Political control

Political control of the non-metropolitan district has been held by the following groups:

ElectionParty
1973 Labour
1976 Conservative
1979 Conservative
1983 No overall control
Con largest single party
1987 Conservative
1991 No overall control
1995 Labour
1999 Labour
2003 No overall control
Con largest single party
2007 Liberal Democrats
2011 Conservative

The council comprises 45 councillors who represent the borough. Each councillor typically serves for a four-year term, representing an electoral ward. Each ward elects between one to three councillors by the first past the post system of election.[9] The current composition of the borough council, following the 2011 election and a subsequent defection,[10] is 25 Conservative councillors, 14 Labour councillors, 5 Liberal Democrat councillors, and 1 UKIP councillor. The next election will take place in May 2015.

WardCouncillor(s)Political control
Abington Tony Ansell
Ifty Choudary 		Conservative
Billing David Palethorpe (Lab)
Christopher Malpas (Con)		 No overall control
Boothville Jamie Lane Conservative
Brookside Lee Penelope Mason Labour
Castle Mohammed Aziz
Winston Strachan
Danielle Stone		 Labour
Delapre and Briar Hill Geraldine Davies (Lab)
Brendan Glynane (LD)
Mick Ford (LD)		 No overall control
East Hunsbury Brandon Eldred
Phil Larratt		 Conservative
Eastfield Elizabeth Gowen Labour
Headlands Ven Sivaramen Labour
Kings Heath Roger Conroy Liberal Democrat
KingsleyBeverley-Anne Mennell UKIP
Kingsthorpe Sally Beardsworth Liberal Democrat
Nene Valley Michael Hill
Jonathan Nunn 		Conservative
New Duston Matthew Golby
John Caswell		 Conservative
Obelisk Mary Markham Conservative
Old Duston Timothy Hadland
Suresh Patel		 Conservative
Park Norman Duncan Conservative
Parklands Mike Hallam Conservative
Phippsville Anna King Conservative
Rectory Farm David Mackintosh Conservative
Riverside Stephen Hibbert Conservative
Rushmills Penny Flavell Conservative
Semilong Les Marriott Labour
Spencer Gareth Eales Labour
Spring Park John Yates Conservative
St David's Naz Choudary Labour
St James Terry Wire Labour
Sunnyside Nilesh Parekh Conservative
Talavera Joy Capstick (Lab)
Dennis Meredith (LD)		 No overall control
Trinity Nahar Begum Labour
Upton Alan Bottwood
Brian Sargeant		 Conservative
West Hunsbury Brian Oldham Conservaitve
Westone Matt Lynch Conservative

See also

References

  1. ↑ "British History".
  2. ↑ "District Councils and Boroughs". Hansard 1803–2005. Parliament of the United Kingdom. 28 March 1974. Retrieved 16 January 2012.
  3. ↑ "Table III(a)". Local Government in England and wales. a Guide to the New System. London: HMSO. 1974. pp. 15–109. ISBN 0117508470.
  4. ↑ "City winners named". BBC News. 18 December 2000. Retrieved 2 April 2008.
  5. ↑ Meikle, James (27 September 1995). "Councils fight on for unitary status: Three authorities miss out on all-purpose target". The Guardian.
  6. ↑ Schoon, Nicholas (20 December 1995). "Nine cities 'need greater powers'". The Independent.
  7. ↑ LGCE. Final Recommendations on the Future Local Government of: Basildon & Thurrock, Blackburn & Blackpool, Broxtowe, Gedling & Rushcliffe, Dartford & Gravesham, Gillingham & Rochester Upon Medway, Exeter, Gloucester, Halton & Warrington, Huntingdonshire & Peterborough, Northampton, Norwich, Spelthorne and the Wrekin. December 1995.
  8. ↑ http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199596/ldhansrd/vo960314/text/60314w01.htm |chapter-url= missing title (help). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard). House of Lords. 14 March 1996. col. WA71–WA74.
  9. ↑ "Legislation.gov.uk".
  10. ↑ http://www.northampton-news-hp.co.uk/Northampton-councillor-defects-Conservative-Lib/story-25458888-detail/story.html?utm_content=buffer33846&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer. Missing or empty |title= (help)