Introduction to South Northamptonshire Council

Following the transfer of the housing stock on 17 th March 2008 , South Northamptonshire Council now employs some 260 staff. The total general fund net revenue budget for 2008/09 is £10.8 million.  Our main Council Offices are located in Towcester

Our Vision

We will show strong leadership across South Northamptonshire to preserve what is special, protect the vulnerable, enhance performance and encourage potential.

Priorities and Objectives

With elected Councillors, we have identified and agreed five key priorities for the Council for 2008-09. Each priority is split into objectives, supported by specific activities. Please see www.southnorthants.gov.uk for more information.

Priority One: Leadership

To be a council that demonstrates strong leadership across South Northants

Objective 1: To develop shared services and integrated delivery across South Northants

  • Ensure the smooth transition of our housing stock to an independent housing association, South Northants Homes ( SNH )
  • Once SNH is established, develop effective partnership arrangements with them
  • Deliver two shared services with Daventry District Council in the next 12 months

Objective 2: To shape the future of local government in South Northamptonshire

  • Lobby for our priorities with key external bodies including the West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC), the County Council, the Police and the Primary Care Trust
  • Develop a shared set of priorities informed by the needs of the community on what we want from the Local Area Agreement and Local Strategic Partnership (LSP)
  • Merge the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) with Daventry
  • Establish a Joint Planning Committee with Daventry, Northampton Borough and Northamptonshire County Council for the production of the Joint Local Development Framework

Priority Two: Preserve

To preserve what is special in South Northants

Objective 1: To ensure the Local Development Framework respects our rural communities and the character of our villages and countryside

  • Create an effective Local Development Framework that recognises the unique character of Northamptonshire and which considers the sustainability of villages in South Northamptonshire

Objective 2: Proactively develop strong leadership in environmental protection policy that actively enhances our community

  • Develop a climate change plan to include reduction in emissions and energy use which meets the national indicators for environmental sustainability
  • Actively promote low carbon transport options such as walking, cycling and public transport.
  • Adopt a county-wide municipal waste strategy and deliver the associated action plan >
  • Explain why waste needs to be reduced through increasing the number of waste prevention initiatives
  • Introduce more schemes to encourage the reuse of unwanted items and to ensure maximum waste is recycled and composted across the district

Priority Three: Protect

To be known as a council that protects the vulnerable

Objective 1: To provide high quality local housing appropriate to the needs of all groups and supporting the needs of key workers

  • Encourage the growth of low cost housing across the district, rather than all in one place
  • Assess the housing needs of local residents who live and work in the local community (including elderly and those with special housing needs) to create an evidence-based strategy to influence developers

Objective 2: Pursue the development of transport policy in a way that supports our goals of access to service

  • Implement the Council's Transport Strategy and Action Plan
  • Support actions to improve accessibility of all residents to essential services through planning, consultation, education and promotion.
  • Ensure that residential developments are well designed to encourage cycling, walking and the use of public transport
  • Support the development of travel planning by producing and implementing a travel plan to act as an ex ample across the district for companies and other organisations in South Northamptonshire

Objective 3: To support the needs of children and young people by implementing our play, open space and playing pitch strategies

  • Work with the schools to increase the facilities available within their premises for community use and in particular for use by young people
  • Deliver all the short term actions contained within the Play, Open Space and Playing Pitch Strategy action plans

Priority Four: Enhance

To enhance performance in South Northants

Objective 1: To be an efficient and effective Council delivering best value services

  • Implement and appropriately resource the Organisational Design Review
  • Deliver promised efficiencies through the Customer Contact Centre
  • Increase value for money through encouraging a culture driven by the desire to be part of a high-performing team with efficient support systems

Objective 2: To respond better to customers

  • Continue to implement the Customer Contact Centre initiative within the agreed timescale

Objective 3: To develop the community by building stronger relationships within it

  • Improve service delivery, decision making and access to hard-to-reach groups by listening and understanding the needs of the community through the revision and implementation of the Community Engagement Plan
  • Support other organisations and communities to enable them to deliver services and improve the quality of their communication

Priority Five: Encourage

To be a Council that encourages potential across the District

Objective 1: To implement the Economic Development Strategy

  • Deliver all the short term actions contained within the Economic Development Strategy including:
  • Revitalising Brackley and Towcester Town Centres
  • Achieving local employment growth
  • Working with the British Racing Drivers Club to produce a renewed circuit for the Grand Prix which will integrate well with its surroundings
  • Strengthening the rural economy and tourism potential
  • Promoting Towcester Racecourse and other tourist assets

Objective 2: To manage the local impact of the National Growth Agenda

  • Ensure the physical and social infrastructure is in place to support new and existing communities
  • Produce a map of local infrastructure shortfalls to underpin funding claims
  • Ensure planning agreements are in place that will deliver infrastructure to support growth in all areas
  • Secure external grant funding from WNDC and East Midlands Development Agency (EMDA) to help deliver the infrastructure
  • Influence the debate of the Northampton Implementation Area (NIA) to move the zone north-east of Northampton

Political Arrangements

The Council is made up of 42 elected councillors representing 27 electoral wards. Following the elections in May 2007, the Conservatives are the largest group with 35 councillors and there are also seven independent councillors. Elections are held every four years, when all councillors are elected. The next local elections will be in May 2011.

The political structure is a Leader with a Cabinet and three Review and Development Committees to scrutinise Cabinet decisions. Political leadership is provided by:

The Leader : Councillor Mrs Sandra Barnes
The Deputy Leader : Councillor Mrs Mary Clarke

The three Review and Development Committees are:

  • Economic and Environmental;
  • Social and Community;
  • Resources

The Cabinet

During 2001, the Council changed its political management structure and introduced a Cabinet with a Leader. The Cabinet meets monthly and publishes a list of decisions taken. A rolling four-month Forward Plan is produced and published monthly. It gives an indication of the future work plans of the Cabinet.

Six Conservative councillors meet as the Council's Cabinet every month and collectively take the major executive decisions for the Council. The Cabinet consists of the following portfolio holders:

  • Councillor Sandra Barnes (Leadership)
  • Councillor Mary Clarke (Economic Development, Enterprise and Growth)
  • Councillor Andrew Grant (Safer, Stronger Communities)
  • Councillor Sandi Smallman (Healthier Communities, Children, Young People and Older People)
  • Councillor John Townsend (Built Environment, Safeguarding Rural Communities)
  • Councillor Martin Wilson (Resources)

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