'Executive committee' of senior councillors will oversee transition to new West Northamptonshire unitary council

Eight councillors - including the four existing leaders - will make up an 'executive committee' that oversees the transition of governance to a new unitary council.
By James Averill
Published 7th May 2020, 08:56 BST
Updated 7th May 2020, 08:58 BST
Clockwise (from top): Matt Golby, Jonathan Nunn, Ian McCord and Richard Auger - the four existing council leaders - will all serve on the new shadow executive committee for West Northamptonshire Council.Clockwise (from top): Matt Golby, Jonathan Nunn, Ian McCord and Richard Auger - the four existing council leaders - will all serve on the new shadow executive committee for West Northamptonshire Council.
Clockwise (from top): Matt Golby, Jonathan Nunn, Ian McCord and Richard Auger - the four existing council leaders - will all serve on the new shadow executive committee for West Northamptonshire Council.

Last month the Government appointed South Northamptonshire Council leader Ian McCord to head up the new executive committee, which will effectively act as the cabinet for the new council as it operates behind the scenes before officially launching next April.

The Government had faced criticism from local councillors who were angry that the chance for them to elect their leader had been taken away from them – the move was labelled ‘undemocratic’ by some.The executive committee will feature eight councillors comprising two each from the three district councils of South Northamptonshire, Daventry and Northampton Borough, and a further two from Northamptonshire County Council.

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All four councils will be scrapped next year to make way for the new unitary, which will be called West Northamptonshire Council. Today (May 7) marks the day that elections would have been held to vote in the first set of councillors for the unitary, but it has been postponed due to the coronavirus.

Until then, preparation work for the unitary will be overseen by the executive committee. And the Local Democracy Reporting Service can reveal the members of the committee.

Councillor McCord, who will lead the committee, will be joined by Councillor Rebecca Breese as the two representatives from South Northamptonshire Council. Councillor Breese is the portfolio holder for Local Government Reform at SNC.

The committee’s deputy leader will be the current leader of Northampton Borough Council, Jonathan Nunn, and he will be joined by his own deputy at NBC, Councillor Phil Larratt.

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The Daventry District Council duo will be made up of new DDC leader Councillor Richard Auger and his deputy Councillor Adam Brown.

Meanwhile, Northamptonshire County Council leader Councillor Matt Golby will also serve on the executive committee, joined by Councillor Lizzy Bowen.

Related topics:Ian McCordWest NorthamptonshireMatt GolbyGovernment