Here's the allowances the new North Northamptonshire councillors can claim

It will be the biggest shake-up in Northamptonshire local government, when all our district councils will cease to exist and from them and the ashes of the county council, two brand new unitary authorities will rise.

From April 1, council services in Northamptonshire will be provided by two unitary authorities instead of the current two-tier structure - North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) will be responsible for services in Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough.

West Northamptonshire Council will look after services in Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire.

A total of 78 councillors will be elected for North Northamptonshire Council – three seats for each of the 26 electoral wards which are based on similar geographical areas to the existing county council division areas.

Councillors do not receive a salary but instead are given an allowance as compensation for their time.

The new North Northamptonshire Council will legally become responsible for the delivery of local services on April 1, up until that date, elected councillors will serve on a shadow authority that will be responsible for setting up the new council so that it is ready to be operational from the same date.

North Northamptonshire Shadow Council's independent Remuneration Panel recommended that as well as each councillor receiving £12,500 as basic allowance in North Northamptonshire, councillors who take on other 'special' responsibilities get extra allowances.

The leader of the new council will receive £27,000, while the deputy leader will get £18,000. Members of the ruling executive take home £13,500.

Opposition members do not miss out, with the leader of the largest opposition party allocated £10,000 and the deputy leader £4,000 - but only if there are 15 or more in the group

The leader of a party with ten or more members will receive £7,000, and the leader of a party with four to nine members gets £4,000.

Various committee chairmen running the council receive:

• Scrutiny Committee £13,500

• Strategic Planning Committee £7,500

• Area Planning Committee £3,750

• Licensing & Appeals Committee £7,500 - A total allowance of £10,000 will be set aside and allocated among members chairing licensing panels of major significance

• Audit and Governance Committee £7,500

• Democracy and Standards Committee £7,500

• Employment Committee, the Police and Crime Panel and the Health and Well-being Board chairmen each £4,000

All of the recommendations of allowances will be reviewed at the end of the 2021-22 'municipal' year.

Other allowances will include an attendance allowance of £400 per meeting to be paid to non-council members who have been co-opted on to council committees such as Audit and Governance and Democracy and Standards, to the Parent Governor representative on the Scrutiny Committee and to any other co-optees subsequently appointed.

For members with childcare and dependants needing care, no hourly rate has been specified, but councillors will be reimbursed on the production of receipts, with the maximum of £6,500 a year being able to be claimed by one councillor.

Electors will be able to cast votes on May 6 for the NNC councillors, the new town councils, the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and representatives for the 95 parish councils across the new unitary area.

Anyone who wants to stand in the election should submit their nomination paper from Friday, March 26, with the deadline of 4pm on Thursday, April 8. Click here for details.Voters who are not yet registered to vote should do so by Monday, April.19. Click here to register.To vote in the elections by post, or to make changes to an existing postal or proxy vote, the deadline is 5pm on Tuesday, April 20.

Voters will have to wear facemasks, use hand sanitiser and bring their own pen.

For those who wish to vote by proxy - where someone else can attend the polling station to vote on their behalf - apply to do so by no later than 5pm on Tuesday, April 27.