West Northamptonshire is a unitary authority area covering part of the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England, created in 2021.[2] By far the largest settlement in West Northamptonshire is the county town of Northampton. Its other significant towns are Daventry, Brackley and Towcester; the rest of the area is predominantly agricultural villages though it has many lakes and small woodlands and is passed through by the West Coast Main Line and the M1 and M40 motorways, thus hosting a relatively high number of hospitality attractions as well as distribution centres as these are key English transport routes. Close to these is the leisure-use Grand Union Canal.
West Northamptonshire | |
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Unitary authority area | |
![]() Northampton, the most-populous settlement in West Northamptonshire and the county town of Northamptonshire. | |
![]() West Northamptonshire within Northamptonshire | |
Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
Constituent country | England |
Region | East Midlands |
Ceremonial county | Northamptonshire |
Established | 1 April 2021 |
Government | |
• Type | Unitary authority |
Area | |
• Land | 531.79 sq mi (1,377.3 km2) |
Population (2021 Census) | |
• Total | 425,700 |
Time zone | UTC+0 (Greenwich Mean Time) |
ONS code | E06000062 (GSS)[1] |
The district has remains of a Roman town Bannaventa, with relics and finds in the main town museums, and its most notable landscape and the mansion is Althorp.
West Northamptonshire was formed on 1 April 2021 through the merger of the three non-metropolitan districts of Daventry, Northampton, and South Northamptonshire, it absorbed the functions of these districts, plus those of the abolished Northamptonshire County Council.
In March 2018, following financial and cultural mismanagement by the cabinet and officers at Northamptonshire County Council, the then Secretary of State for Local Government, Sajid Javid, sent commissioner Max Caller into the council, who recommended the county council and all-district and borough councils in the county be abolished, and replaced by two unitary authorities, one covering the West, and one the North of the county.[3] These proposals were approved in April 2019. It meant that the districts of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire were merged to form a new unitary authority called West Northamptonshire, whilst the second unitary authority North Northamptonshire consists of the former Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough districts.[4][5]
The council uses the former Northamptonshire County Council's offices at One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton as its headquarters, but also continues to use the offices inherited from the three former district councils at Northampton Guildhall (from Northampton Borough Council), The Forum in Towcester (from South Northamptonshire District Council) and Lodge Road in Daventry (from Daventry District Council).
West Northamptonshire Council | |
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Type | |
Type | Unitary authority |
Leadership | |
Leader | |
Chief Executive | Anna Earnshaw |
Structure | |
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Political groups | Administration (66)
Opposition (27)
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Elections | |
Last election | 6 May 2021 |
Meeting place | |
One Angel Square, 4 Angel Street, Northampton, NN1 1ED[7] | |
Website | |
https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/ |
Elections for a shadow authority were due to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020 but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These elections were held on 6 May 2021 with the Conservatives winning an overall majority.
The Council comprises 93 councillors elected across 31 wards.[8] As a result of the 2021 elections, the Conservatives hold 66 seats, the Labour Party hold 20, the Liberal Democrats hold 5 and there are 3 independent councillors.
The West Northamptonshire population was estimated to be around 406,733 people in 2020, in 2011, off of previous administrative boundaries, the population of the West Northamptonshire area was around 375,101 people, with it being 345,589 people in 2001.[9]
In 2020, there was around an estimated 202,004 men and 204,729 women.[9]
Ethnic Group | 1991[10] | 2001[11] | 2011[12] | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | % | Number | % | Number | % | |
White: Total | 301,940 | 96.1% | 326,513 | 94.5% | 336,933 | 89.8% |
White: British | – | – | 315,127 | 91.2% | 314,924 | 84% |
White: Irish | – | – | 4,996 | 4,011 | ||
White: Gypsy or Irish Traveller | – | – | – | – | 214 | |
White: Other | – | – | 6,390 | 17,784 | ||
Asian or Asian British: Total | 6,268 | 2% | 7,224 | 2.1% | 16,063 | 4.3% |
Asian or Asian British: Indian | 2,918 | 3,915 | 6,471 | |||
Asian or Asian British: Pakistani | 563 | 915 | 1,789 | |||
Asian or Asian British: Bangladeshi | 1,215 | 1,818 | 3,474 | |||
Asian or Asian British: Chinese | 847 | 1,495 | 2,005 | |||
Asian or Asian British: Other Asian | 725 | 576 | 2,324 | |||
Black or Black British: Total | 4,746 | 1.5% | 5,078 | 1.5% | 11,598 | 3.1% |
Black or Black British: Caribbean | 2,877 | 3,077 | 6,837 | |||
Black or Black British: African | 513 | 1,465 | 3,298 | |||
Black or Black British: Other Black | 1,356 | 536 | 1,463 | |||
Mixed or British Mixed: Total | – | – | 4,412 | 1.3% | 8,823 | 2.4% |
Mixed: White and Black Caribbean | – | – | 2,009 | 3,819 | ||
Mixed: White and Black African | – | – | 353 | 1,241 | ||
Mixed: White and Asian | – | – | 1,130 | 1,947 | ||
Mixed: Other Mixed | – | – | 920 | 1,816 | ||
Other: Total | 1,283 | 0.4% | 867 | 0.3% | 1,684 | 0.4% |
Other: Arab | – | – | – | – | 579 | |
Other: Any other ethnic group | 1,283 | 0.4% | 867 | 1,105 | ||
Total | 314,237 | 100% | 345,589 | 100% | 375,101 | 100% |
0-9 years | 10-19 years | 20-29 years | 30-39 years | 40-49 years | 50-59 years | 60-69 years | 70-79 years | 80+ years |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
52,453 | 48,857 | 45,494 | 52,919 | 54,387 | 57,322 | 43,181 | 34,676 | 17,865 |
For a county-wide list for Northamptonshire see List of places in Northamptonshire
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