New North Northamptonshire Council set to approve budget for £292.5 million spend

It has been a long time coming but the new North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) unitary authority - covering Corby, Kettering, East Northants and Wellingborough council areas - will soon replace the cash-strapped soon-to-be defunct Northamptonshire County Council (NCC).

South Northamptonshire Council, Daventry District Council and Northampton Borough Council will form West Northamptonshire Council.

And it is money that will be the most important problem for the NNC shadow cabinet - how will they balance the books in the midst of an economic and medical crisis? - all washed down with a Brexit chaser.

The new NNC must provide all the services previously overseen by the old Northamptonshire County Council and the district and borough councils, that means everything from emptying the bins and street lighting to leisure centres, 'council' houses and potholes.

Residents will know that the one council is responsible for all the services, but how it is to be paid for will be decided tomorrow night when the cost of providing those services will be balanced against finding the money to pay for them.

Cllr Russell Roberts, leader of the shadow authority, said: “This is a fresh start for North Northamptonshire Council and I’m confident that we can build on the great work that has already been started to transform and improve services.

“Local government reorganisation is absolutely right for Northamptonshire and the benefits of creating two new councils in the county are huge and will benefit everyone in the long term."

Under the chairmanship of Cllr Roberts, the final budget for 2021/2022 for North Northamptonshire Council is set to be considered by the shadow authority’s executive committee tomorrow evening.

Councillors Jason Smithers (also vice-chairman), Jean Addison , Tom Beattie, Ian Jelley, David Jenney, Steven North, Tom Partridge-Underwood, Wendy Brackenbury and Martin Griffiths will be asked to approve the balanced budget, a total net revenue spend of £292.5 million.

In papers published following a seven-week consultation period, the new council's final recommendations include a council tax increase of 4.99 per cent, that will be made up of a 1.99 per cent core precept and a three per cent adult social care precept - locally collected taxes.

This would represent a home in Band D being charged £1,532.90 in 2021/22 council tax - the equivalent of £29.48 per week.

A spokesman for NNC said: "This first budget for the shadow authority presents a fresh start for their residents with the new authority providing all local government services in the north of the county including adult social care, housing and economic regeneration, leisure, tourism and waste disposal and collection.

"The council recognises that the work of the voluntary sector has been invaluable in supporting the residents and communities of North Northamptonshire throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

"It also acknowledges that the voluntary sector is often best placed to work with residents and with this in mind it proposes to establish a £200k a year fund over the next three years to support the sector, which will sit alongside other payments."

When the draft budget papers were published in December figures showed a budget gap of £10 million on the revenue budget.

However following the Provisional Local Government Finance Settlement later that month and other financial adjustments the budget has been balanced 'without further service cuts'.

Cllr Ian Jelley, shadow portfolio holder for finances and revenues and benefits, said: “I’m delighted that we’re able to present a balanced budget to the executive with no further cuts to service provision.

"This is down to all the hard work that has taken place to transform services in North Northamptonshire to not only make the finances work but also provide the quality that our residents deserve."

NNC and West Northamptonshire Council share a children's trust established to deliver services on behalf of the new authorities.

The total 2021-22 revenue budget is £608.5 million, which includes the Dedicated Schools Grant (DSG) of £316 million. Taking aside the DSG this leaves a net revenue budget requirement of £292.5m.

The costs of the new North Northamptonshire Council will make up the majority of council tax bills, but they will also include precepts from the Police and Crime Commissioner to fund the police and fire services, and other elements such as town and parish councils, where those exist.

Across North Northamptonshire different levels of council tax have previously been raised by each of the existing sovereign councils and whilst the council tax level set by NCC is the same for all parts of the county, the rates set by the districts and boroughs are different.

In order to set a single rate of council tax for North Northamptonshire there is a requirement to harmonise council tax. There are strict rules over how this can be done and in North Northamptonshire, council tax will be harmonised from Vesting Day (April 1, 2021). A 'weighted average' of existing sovereign councils will be used to set the new, harmonised, rate.

The draft revenue budget will be discussed at a meeting of the shadow executive meeting on Wednesday, February 10 before final approval is sought at a meeting of the full shadow authority on Thursday, February 25 .

Shadow executive committee members will also be asked to endorse a vision statement for North Northamptonshire Council: “We will work with the local community to make North Northamptonshire a place where everyone has the best opportunities and quality of life, driven by excellent public services. We will strive for an area that is safe and attractive with a thriving economy and green environment.”

During the current Covid-19 pandemic, meetings of the shadow authority will be conducted via Zoom as virtual meetings. Those meetings which are normally accessible to the public will be live-streamed.

Click here to watch the meeting on the Democratic Services North Northants' YouTube channel.

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