Northants County Council improvement board to meet today

An  independent improvement board set up to oversee Northamptonshire County Council meets for the first time today.
Council leader Matt GolbyCouncil leader Matt Golby
Council leader Matt Golby

Councillors from across the various local authorities in Northants will join with local government experts and council leaders from other areas to come up with plans for how NCC can improve.

NCC leader Matt Golby and new chief executive Theresa Grant will also sit on the board.

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The council will almost certainly be replaced by a unitary authority system in May 2020 after financial concerns earlier this year led to central government recommending it be replaced.

It has to make £64m of savings this year in order to balance its books and is expected to announce further cuts to already diminished services in the coming weeks.  

A spokesman for Northamptonshire County Council said: “The Improvement Board brings together leading professionals from local government, health and social care, the voluntary sector and councillors from all political parties to support the county council through its challenging improvement journey.

“The board will work alongside the council and the commissioners to support and challenge the council’s plans for improvement, with a particular focus on its financial arrangements.”

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The meeting is not open to members of the public or the media.

Members on the board include: NCC council leader Matthew Golby, NCC chief executive  Theresa Grant, NCC councillors Cllr Andrew Mercer (Con), Cllr Bob Scott ( Labour) and Cllr Chris Stanbra (Liberal Democrats,) Voluntary Impact Northamptonshire chief executive Dawn Cummins, NHFT chief executive Angela Hillery,  Northamptonshire County Association of Local Councils boss Danny Moody, Northampton Borough Council leader Jonathan Nunn, leader of East Northamptonshire Council Stephen North, managing director of Kettering Council Graham Soulsby,  chief executive of Daventry Council Ian Vincent, principal advisor from LGA advisor Mark Edgell and leader of Essex County Council David Finch.

Sarah Ward, Local Democracy Reporter