New parish council to be set up near Northampton to cover future housing developments

A public meeting at the Harlestone Village Institute on Thursday, 23 January at 7pm will give residents an opportunity to hear all about plans for the new Harlestone Manor Parish Council.

The new council will cover the Loxton Fields and Harlestone Manor housing developments, which are being built off York Way and New Sandy Lane in the south of Harlestone parish.

It follows a Community Governance Review carried out by Daventry District Council (DDC) last year, which invited parish councils to propose any changes they wished to make to their boundaries or number of councillors.

Harlestone Parish Council proposed splitting its parish to create a new parish council encompassing the housing developments, and the proposal was agreed following a public consultation.

Parish councils are elected bodies, which typically look after services such as litter picking, the maintenance of green open spaces and play areas, and public facilities such as community centres or village halls.

The public meeting this month is an opportunity for people to find out more and get involved in the development of the new Harlestone Manor Parish Council, which is set to hold its first election in May 2020.

People will also be able to have a say on the new parish council’s budget, hear about the possibilities for community facilities in the area, and learn how the new parish can shape its future development through a Neighbourhood Plan.

The meeting will be chaired by District Councillor for the area John Shephard, and will feature contributions from the clerk designate for the new council, Paul Thomas, as well as representatives from DDC.

Councillor Shephard said: “This is an exciting opportunity for residents of the new development to get involved in the birth of their new parish council. Please join us on 23 January to find out more and discover how you can play a part in this new community.”