'Particularly impressive' progress noted in Reform-run North Northants Council inspection
An independent review of North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) has praised the authority for making ‘real and meaningful progress’ since its last inspection.
The council has now published its latest review by peers in the local government sector, which took place in October 2025, a year on since its first-ever visit in 2024. It is expected that all councils will receive a Corporate Peer Challenge, which provides them with an overview of strategic challenges and support, at least once every five years.
The Local Government Association (LGA) team found that the council has either completed or made progress across all seven recommendations put forward in the Corporate Peer Challenge the year prior, noting that it is “particularly impressive” given the recent political changes, which brought in a new Reform UK administration and 47 newly elected members last May.
The review added: “The council has embraced the peer team’s recommendations, taking them on board fully and is acting upon them. Progress has been seen across multiple key areas, showing a clear commitment to improvement, good governance and service delivery.
“At the same time, there is recognition within the council that there is still more to do. Being open about areas that need further attention shows maturity and self-awareness.”
It reported that the new political leadership had quickly established itself as a strong and cohesive team and complemented NNC’s new corporate plan and the creation of a director of transformation and strategy. The review said these measures formed part of a “clearer golden thread” linking strategies, plans, and individual roles.
It also highlighted strong member awareness of council finances and monitoring budgets being made simpler, a better working relationship with the Children’s Trust and a renewed sense of accountability, as well as initiatives to boost morale and reduced staff turnover within the authority’s workforce.
But the council still has other areas to work on, with a number of key areas of focus noted.
This includes continued vigilance on safeguarding financial stability and setting out a pipeline of preventative actions to deliver long-term sustainability and develop early approaches that address the root causes of financial pressures.
The peer team has also encouraged the leader of the council to consider how best to bring opposition group leaders together on a regular basis to foster constructive cross-party relationships. It also said an “absolute focus” is needed on preventative actions designed to improve outcomes for children and young people in North Northamptonshire.
Speaking at a full council meeting on Thursday (January 22), which considered the report, NNC leader Martin Griffiths said: “Their independent feedback recognises real and meaningful progress against all seven recommendations, which is especially noteworthy given last year’s elections, a new administration and 47 newly elected members.
“The message from our peers is encouraging – good progress, clear direction, but of course, more work to do and we are committed to doing it.
“I regularly refer to the need for us to work cross-party and I’ll stick to that for as long as I’m leader of this council.”
NNC has said that the next steps and focus areas will be woven into its existing action plan, with the intention that it will be incorporated within the annual delivery plan being developed by the executive.