Future community asset decisions could be taken by Kettering councillors

An application to give the ground the status has been rejected by Kettering Council officers twice - but future decisions could now be taken by councillors instead.

Cllr Michael Brown (Ind, Brambleside) has tabled a motion asking for elected representatives to take back control of the decisions, with advice from officers.

The motion, which will be heard at full council next week, reads: “The council requests that the executive reconsider its decision to delegate ACV application decisions to officers and ask the executive to consider bringing the decision-making powers back to the Executive Committee, ensuring decisions are made by elected representatives in public, for the public, with the advice and support of a council officer report.”

Cllr Brown, who has been vocal in his bid to bring the Poppies back to the town, says it is important that such decisions are made by people who have been elected.

He said: “Councillors are elected to make decisions.

“It is an important and essential duty of councillors to ensure that they make those decisions for the thousands of people who elect them to do so.

“Decisions, of course, should be taken by councillors with the professional advice of officers, but in public, especially when those decisions effect thousands of local people.

“This is a basic cornerstone of democracy and hopefully this motion will restore that into ACV decisions at Kettering Council.”

The motion will be heard next Wednesday (December 14) at Kettering Council’s offices in Bowling Green Road.