New authority is "a fresh start", says North Northamptonshire Council boss

The chief executive of North Northamptonshire Council said this month's launch of the county's two new unitary authorities is "a fresh start".

Rob Bridge said a great deal of work had taken place over the last two years.

Services provided to the 348,000 people who live in the Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough areas will include adult social care, public health, highways, housing and economic regeneration, planning, leisure, tourism, waste disposal and collection.

Going forward the council says it will continue to work with the other county unitary authority, West Northamptonshire Council, in a range of services that will still be delivered as shared services across the county, such as public health and highways.

Mr Bridge said: “A great deal of work has taken place over the past two years to transform services in Northamptonshire and the creation of two new authorities has been part of this process.

“This is a fresh start for Northamptonshire and we believe that we are in a robust position to build on the good work that has taken place so far so we can create strong, safe and prosperous communities in the north of the county.”

North Northamptonshire Council’s new website and social media channels are up and running already. Residents can visit www.northnorthants.gov.uk where there is information about services and details on how to make contact. Residents can also follow the council on Twitter and Facebook via @northnorthants.

And the new authority says residents of North Northamptonshire can look forward to a 'seamless customer experience' when they visit the council’s website which launched in its full form on April 1.

Currently, the website will typically redirect users requiring access to most services and transactions to the existing sites of the local authorities that make up North Northamptonshire – Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, Wellingborough and Northamptonshire County Council.

However, the future vision is to eventually ensure the North Northamptonshire website acts as a fully integrated, one-stop shop for customers.

Mr Bridge added: “Simplicity and accessibility were at the heart of our efforts to create this important customer platform for North Northamptonshire that we are proud to launch on this historic day.

“You should all have the access to services and information you need and we are committed to developing digital customer services that will help ensure an efficient experience for residents and businesses while giving our staff the tools they need to serve you effectively.”