Consultation opens on parish and town councils

Residents in North Northamptonshire are being asked to take part in a further consultation on parish and town councils.

An initial consultation run by North Northamptonshire Council asked for views on whether people felt their communities were suitably represented.

The feedback from 121 respondents was used to form a draft proposal on how town and parish councils operate in the future.

Some of the recommendations being put forward include changing the number of members of some councils and altering existing boundaries.

Martin Griffiths, leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: "Town and parish councils play an important role in representing local communities and helping to shape the places where people live.

"This review gives residents and stakeholders a valuable opportunity to influence how local governance arrangements should look in the future.

"We received a range of views during the first stage of the review, and those comments have informed the draft recommendations now being consulted on."

The consultation runs until 4 October.

Griffiths said: "I would encourage everyone with an interest in their local community to take a look at the proposals and let us know what they think before the consultation closes."

Any changes would be implemented through a reorganisation order.

Northamptonshire has been the scene of widespread council reorganisation in recent years.

The previous Conservative government scrapped Northamptonshire County Council and seven district and borough councils, replacing them in 2021 with two unitary authorities – North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire councils.

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