Reform councillor responds after council issued emergency ban on Northampton rental property
A Reform UK councillor has responded after the council issued an emergency ban on part of one of his rental properties in Northampton, stopping it being used as a home.
Councillor Nigel Berrill, who was elected to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) in May 2025 to represent Kingsthorpe North, is listed as the owner of several properties in his official register of interests.
According to a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Chronicle & Echo, the Reform-led council confirmed it issued an Emergency Prohibition Order at 1 St Michael’s Avenue, just off the Kettering Road, which is listed on Councillor Berrill’s register of interests as a rental property.
The order, served on July 23, 2025, two months after Reform gained control of WNC, applied to the second floor of the property and prohibited its use “for the purposes of sleeping, resting and use as a dwelling”, according to the FOI. The council said the notice has since been complied with.
Emergency Prohibition Orders are used in cases where there is considered to be an immediate risk to health and safety, requiring urgent action to stop occupation.
Responding, Councillor Berrill said: “I do not currently have full closure on the matter relating to the Emergency Prohibition Order. As such, I will not provide detailed comment at this stage, as I do not wish to jeopardise the outcome of an ongoing process.
"What I can confirm is that appropriate action was taken when concerns were raised, including vacating the affected area and carrying out remedial works. The council has already confirmed that the order has been complied with. I am happy to provide a fuller response once the matter is formally concluded.”
He added: “To be absolutely clear, my election as a councillor in May 2025 has had no influence whatsoever on the handling, timing, or resolution of any housing or regulatory matters. Councillors receive no preferential treatment – our cases are dealt with in exactly the same way as any member of the public. Any suggestion otherwise is simply incorrect.”
The FOI also highlighted a second property linked to Councillor Berrill where the council would not disclose whether enforcement action had been taken.
12 Thurspit Place, in Ecton Brook, appears on Councillor Berrill’s register of interests as a property he owns. But when asked about any breaches or penalties, the council refused to confirm or deny whether any action had been taken as the licence holder for the property was not the subject of the FOI request.
In response, Councillor Berrill said: “I am the property owner. However, the property is managed and operated by a separate management company, and I am not the licence holder. All licensing and operational responsibilities sit with the licence holder and that company, not with me. It would therefore be misleading to attribute any matters to me personally.”
Councillor Berrill’s register of interests also lists Wells IE Ltd, with himself named as director, and Wells IR Ltd, with his spouse listed as a director.
However, the council said it had been unable to trace a company registered as Wells IR Ltd, and Companies House records also show no such company exists.
Responding, Councillor Berrill said: “In relation to Wells IE Ltd and Wells IR Ltd, I have no connection to Wells IR Ltd, I will review the register entry concerning this, as this appears to be an administrative error. Wells IE Ltd is my small plumbing and heating business and is correctly declared; it has no connection to my property portfolio. I will ensure the register is updated if necessary.”
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story stated that the decision had been taken “by his own party”. West Northamptonshire Council has asked for it be made clear it was a council protocol, not a political decision. The article has been amended to reflect this.