Important consultation – have your say to help design the future of local government
Important consultation – have your say to help design the future of local government.
Consultation on a re-structure of local government in Northamptonshire started 18 June, with opportunities for all residents, businesses and other stakeholders in the county to have their say.
All eight authorities in Northamptonshire are working on a proposal for the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government that “must command a good deal of local support”, so stakeholders across the county have an opportunity to comment before a final proposal is submitted.
Formal consultation runs from 18 June until 22 July 2018.
People are being encouraged to have their say by going online to complete a questionnaire at www.futurenorthants.co.uk
There they will also find a detailed consultation document that fully explains the proposal.
The Government’s invitation to submit a proposal follows a Best Vale Inspection of Northamptonshire County Council, which concluded that its financial, cultural and governance problems could not be solved in isolation and recommended that plans be developed for two unitary authorities.
The Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government has asked that the eight authorities in Northamptonshire submit a proposal that meets the following criteria:
- A single county-wide unitary is explicitly excluded as an option
- Each new proposed authority must have a population substantially in excess of 300,000
- The proposal must be based on existing council boundaries.
Alongside the consultation website, copies of the consultation document and the questionnaire will also be available in libraries and local council offices from Monday, 25 June.
Councillor Chris Millar, Leader of Daventry District Council, said: “It’s really important that people living in Daventry District get involved and have their say as part of this important consultation on the future of their local councils, so please take the opportunity to share your views.”
A representative telephone survey will be carried out and a series of focus groups with representative groups of invited residents will also take place across the county, as well as engagement with other stakeholders.
Other consultations by the local media and by individual councils may take place at the same time, so it’s really important that people respond to the official Local Government Reform Northamptonshire consultation being run by all eight Northamptonshire councils for their comments on the proposal to be considered.
