New hotel, multi-storey car park, hundreds of flats, bus lane cameras and more - here's what will be discussed at West Northamptonshire Council's cabinet meeting

This is what the people representing you at West Northamptonshire Council will be discussing at tonight's (Tuesday) cabinet meeting.

WNC's cabinet members Jonathan Nunn, Adam Brown, Fiona Baker, Lizzy Bowen, Rebecca Breese, Matt Golby, Mike Hallam, Phil Larratt, Malcolm Longley and David Smith will meet at The Guildhall to discuss the council and town's future.

The biggest topic of the night could well be the proposals to build 270 residential apartments, an 111-bed hotel, around 400sqm office floorspace, around 300sqm retail unit and a multi-storey car park with around 1,198 spaces on land near the railway station up to the former Super Sausage cafe.

Another big talking point is the St James' Road bus lane and enforcement camera review.

The cabinet has been recommended to change the 24-hour bus lane back to its previous operating hours of 7.30am until 9.30am each morning. The camera's location will also be discussed, with proposals put forward to place it near to the St James' Mill Road crossroads.

The council said the key risk of not changing how the bus lane currently works could damage its public reputation.

"If no changes are made, then complaints by residents and subsequent media interest may continue," cabinet documents say.

Another item set to be discussed is the use of the Northampton’s Towns Fund grant allocation.

The Towns Fund is part of the Government’s plan for levelling up the UK economy.

Cabinet is looking to seek approval to use £500,000 of funding to help deliver projects to regenerate the town.

A list of projects that will be regenerated using the funds include St Peter’s Church and the Old Black Lion, the former M&S building, the former BHS building and more.

Cabinet is also looking to changing the way the Director of Public Health (DPH) works across the county.

There is currently one DPH, but cabinet is looking to seek approval to have two DPHs one for West Northamptonshire Council and one for North Northamptonshire Council.

Cabinet papers say: "The importance of the role and leadership in these areas has never been more clearly demonstrated than during the COVID pandemic when the shared DPH has had to oversee the most significant public health issue the country has seen."

Other items to be discussed include a performance overview of how the council is operating; how to provide the right culture for council employees to work under to operate 'more effectively; a look at a customer experience strategy that will provide the 'right service at the right time in the right manner'; and look at the maintenance of the vehicles used for the waste and cleansing service in the South of the county.