Across West Northamptonshire, voters will elect 76 councillors in 35 different wards. More than 350 candidates are standing from ten political parties, as well as a number of independents. Find a full list of candidates here.
Chronicle & Echo has reached out the leaders of the parties to ask them about four topics that matter most to our readers.
Over the next few days we will be publishing a series of articles, detailing the responses we have received from some of the political parties competing for your votes on polling day on Thursday May 1.
Next up is the issue of mass infrastructure the effect on facilities such as health setting and schools. We asked the leaders what their party intends to do to address the issue if they are elected.
We received responses from the Conservatives, the Green Party, the Heritage Party (which has one candidate standing in Dallington and Spencer), an Independent candidate, Labour, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition.
Below are the responses from those parties regarding the issue of mass infrastructure and the effect on facilities such as health setting and schools, in alphabetical order of party name.
Chronicle & Echo also contacted The Social Democratic Party and The Labour and Co-operative Party - who have candidates standing in West Northamptonshire - but we did not receive a response.
If any independent candidates would like to offer their response to this issue, please email [email protected].
5. Ian McCord - Independent
Independent candidate in the Deanshanger ward, Ian McCord, said: "If there was ever a system that worked for them and not you it is planning. We must change that to work for you, not them. The planning system needs reform, proper reform to address the imbalance of power between council and developers. The recent changes from this new Labour government weaken council control further, give higher housing targets and no rewards to hard pressed communities. WNC needs to end its spineless attitude to enforcement and stop developers when they are in breach of their planning conditions. I have case work in my ward where the council did its job and collected money for improved NHS facilities at a local surgery. The NHS will not spend the money. There is a high likelihood this money £100,000+, may have to be returned to the developer, unspent, as per the contract. This needs a fix. Just as in spelling I before E. We must put the Infrastructure in before the Expansion. Government must help with public services. We will never get homes at reasonable prices when developers have to pay for schools, roads, etc as these costs are merely reflected in the selling price. WNC Planning service is one of the worst performing in the country. They went from bad to terrible, improved to poor and now have aspirations for mediocrity, any new council must get on top of this." Photo: Submitted
6. Labour
Leader of the West Northamptonshire Labour party, Wendy Randall, said: "What we will be looking at is building our own houses. Councils in other areas are building council homes and this is what we need to be doing. We have approximately 5,000 residents on our housing list and a lot that are sofa surfing. We need to be building the right homes to meet the needs of our residents but also installing pride in their properties. When we are building houses on mass the infrastructure needs to be in place often before or after a certain amount of homes are built. We can’t keep building homes but not the facilities to match. We will make sure there are adequate doctor/patient ratios, local schools, shops etc. We are the party that truly cares and wants our residents to live their best lives. There is plenty that needs to be done but we will work with the people for the people. We will truly listen to what our residents want and need and we will work closely with town and parish councils. We are the only party that is addressing local issues." Photo: WNC
7. Liberal Democrats
Sally Beardsworth is leader of the Liberal Democrats in West Northamptonshire. The party said: "Developers have in many ways become too powerful. They call the shots and as result of Liz Truss’s mini-budget, material costs have skyrocketed through that huge spike of inflation that we saw a few years ago. People will say inflation has come down, but that means that prices aren’t rising so quickly but they remain high. Developers use this to state what they can’t do rather than what they can do. Through the local plan, Liberal Democrats are calling for better, enforceable policies which set out clearly the requirements for all the large housing developments – no ifs and buts or excuses. We believe there has been a fear that developers won’t build if we ask too much of them, but we would stand up to them and say, if you don’t want to comply with policies that provide infrastructure and facilities for people, then build elsewhere. This shouldn’t be rocket science. The council’s plans need to clearly state what is needed in these developments and ensure that these policies are adhered to." Photo: WNC
8. Reform UK
Mark Arnull is the chairman of Reform UK West Northamptonshire. The party said: "The need for housing in the UK is determined by national population, and we frequently see net migration figures reported in the national media that contributes to population increase. The current Labour government set an ambitious target to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029, and some of those homes will be built in West Northamptonshire. With net migration running at current levels, this target is frankly a drop in the ocean of what’s required, and some organisations are already indicating that the government will fall short on hitting that target. In terms of what it means for West Northamptonshire, voters have frequently come to use and raised concerns that services and facilities are not being expanded consistently to cater for the increase in local population. Reform UK will change that and will work to ensure that developments are built in appropriate places, with infrastructure and facilities in place at the time, and not as an afterthought." Photo: Reform UK