Agenda item

Mr Steve Miller spoke as resident of Kingsthorpe and a member of the Green Party and commented that is was ludicrous that whilst the Borough Council were responsible for Air Quality, the County Council were liable for Highways which he considered should be delivered under one umbrella. He commented that the consultation would be the last opportunity for Northampton to stand up for itself and proposed the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system be piloted to enhance the democratic process.

Mr Scott Mabbutt spoke as a resident of St Crispin’s and a member of the Green Party and commented that he broadly supported the motion and noted the disparity between the urban population of Northampton and those in more rural areas and stated that a one size fits all approach was not viable. He emphasised the need for robust public engagement and argued that STV would provide a more proportional voting system.

Father Oliver Coss (All Saints Church, Northampton) explained that he had some sympathy with the notion of having 2 unitary Councils, proposed by Government, and urged engagement with neighbouring authorities to ensure a joined up Northamptonshire.

Mr Martin Sawyer stated that he considered the motion to be one of the most important decisions that the Council would have to make as it would ultimately decide the shape and future of the Town and surrounding areas. He commented that it should have cross party support and any progress or options considered should have the full support of the residents. He urged the Council to fight for a stronger Northampton to ensure that it would be fair to all.

Alderman John Dickie questioned why the Administration had originally supported and signed the motion and then conducted a political U-turn and were proposing to vote against it. He asked whether this was due to pressures from Government and urged any proposal to government be supported by residents and urged more emphasis on localism.

Mr Brian Hoare commented that the criteria set by the Government was not credible and ignored what it was intended to achieve. He stated that the Council needed to listen to the views and concerns of the residents and not the requests of the Government; this would be a decision that would affect the residents of the Town and it was necessary to do what was right by them.

Mr Arthur Newbury commented that he considered it to be necessary for the Borough Boundaries to be extended and stated that the Town was a strong place and that there was no desire for the Town to be ruled from a village 30 miles away. He reported that Northamptonians needed to vote on this and that there was a need for engagement with the public as he believed Northampton needed to be independent from the two other areas.

Ms Morcea Walker commented that she did not envy the Council with having to make a decision on the motion as it would have a significant impact on the future of Northampton. She reported that the Government proposal would provide an opportunity for change and requested that whatever decision was reached, it be fully supported and commented that the future of Northamptonshire was currently in the hands of the Borough.

Mr Thomas Appleyard referred to the criteria outlined in the Government proposal and questioned how the population boundary figure of 300,000 was arbitrary and noted that having fewer Councillors, who would potentially be further removed from their local areas would have a detrimental impact of the residents they represented. He urged the Council to give the public satisfactory information prior to any consultation and that the consultation should not be carried out exclusively online as this would restrict a number of residents from participating in the exercise.

Ms Sally Keeble commented that she had represented Northampton as an MP for 13 years and stated that the County Council had been severely impacted on by a local of Government funds and very poor financial management and stated that the people of Northampton had a right to self-determination. She stated the Government should drop the County Council debt, so that it would not have to be incorporated into Unitary budgets and commented that the public consultation should be for the residents of Northampton, and not a decision of Town Hall, County Hall of Whitehall.

Mr Daniel Soan stated that the Council should not right-off a proposed West Northamptonshire Unitary authority; the potential to have the combined incomes of the 3 current authorities would be of benefit to residents and potentially provide enhanced value for money. He explained that the structure of local government would not detract from the heritage or history of Northampton and a West Northamptonshire unitary authority could ensure the excellent provision of a public services.