Town council go ahead for Wellingborough

Wellingborough Council is the first borough council in the county to decide upon the move ahead of the likely unitary reorganisation coming in the wake of the problems at Northamptonshire County Council.

Last night (Nov27) at its full council meeting all members unanimously agreed to set up the new council which will have 23 elected councillors across nine wards.

Leader of the council Martin Griffith said: “With potential changes to local governance in Northamptonshire, it is essential that all of our residents’ views are paramount and the establishment of a town council will ensure that the town is effectively represented and that civic pride in our community is maintained.”

“We look forward to continuing to work with residents to ensure their views are heard, local democracy is upheld and that we continue to provide high-quality value for money services.”

Wellingborough Council carried out a community governance review earlier this year and carried out a public consultation between July 23 and October 23.

A total of 166 responses were received and more than 80 per cent were in agreement that Wellingborough should have a town council.

A statement from the council said: “The council believes that parish councils play an important role in local democracy, both in terms of community empowerment and engagement, and the delivery of local services. The establishment of the town council will ensure that the town of Wellingborough is effectively represented so that governance within the borough continues to be robust and capable of meeting future challenges.”

A re-organisation order will be put before council on January 22, which will formalise the town council and establish the date for the first elections.