Have your say on North Northants Council's vision - 'a place where everyone has the best opportunities and quality of life'

Residents, businesses and local groups are invited to have their say on North Northamptonshire Council’s proposed plan for the next four years.

The council is consulting on a high-level plan that sets out the council’s vision, values, key commitments and priorities for the area and for the people who live and work in and visit North Northamptonshire.

The vision has been set out as "a place where everyone has the best opportunities and quality of life".

Cllr Jason Smithers, leader of North Northamptonshire Council, said: “I want people living and working in North Northamptonshire to have the opportunity to shape their local area and the public services they receive.

“This consultation will be open for four weeks but we want to continue to have a dialogue with local communities long after this consultation closes.

“If you have time and are keen to get more involved in shaping the future of your local area, please take part in this survey. Everybody in North Northamptonshire is welcome to have their say.”

The survey is available online or as a paper version and sets out drafts of the council's vision, values and corporate plan asking a series of questions to help shape and prioritise policy.

Draft values have been decided as being "customer focused, respectful, innovative, efficient, transparent, supportive, and trustworthy".

While the draft corporate plan is to shape the way services are delivered and improved with the statement "We want the council to be a modern, accessible, and accountable council".

To help it meet the vision the council has developed six key commitments

These are: Helping people live healthier, more active, independent and fulfilled lives; with greater access to better quality adult social care; to value and support carers and volunteers; improve the accessibility and use of leisure, culture, and sport; provide enhanced support to improve mental health and wellbeing; and tackle the causes of complex problems such as homelessness.

Other commitments tackle providing high-quality education, strengthening the cultural identity of towns, villages, and rural communities, creating a sustainable environment and tackling climate change, keeping communities connected and 'providing efficient, effective, and affordable services that make a real difference to all our local communities' highlighting 'robust financial and performance management'.

The consultation is open now and runs to midnight on October 3. People can go online https://northnorthants.citizenspace.com/ or complete a paper version available from council customer service centres and North Northamptonshire libraries.