Roads, houses, regeneration and fly-tipping: How do election party policies compare across West Northants

Polls for the West Northamptonshire local elections open on Thursday (May 1).

Five main parties- Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Lib Dems and Reform UK- will be standing at least one candidate in every ward across West Northants, hoping to make gains on the council.

The last set of local elections for West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) were held in 2021- the first of its kind after the county council was abolished. The Conservatives took on a strong majority in the chamber, with Labour making up the biggest opposition party alongside the Liberal Democrats and some independents.

Though the chamber’s exact makeup has changed slightly over the four years due to by-elections, resignations, and defections, the parties represented on the council remain the same, as the Greens and Reform UK have yet to secure any councillors.

So, with every resident across the region able to vote for any one of the main parties next week, how do their policies and local plans compare?

Commitments to crumbling highways

All parties have placed road repairs and maintenance among their top priorities for the next four years, with the issue coming up time and time again on the doorstep. But, what have they promised?

The Conservatives have said they will prioritise ‘ongoing highway investment’, highlighting an additional £10m already put into local roads in the last financial year. They say that bringing every highway and footpath in Northamptonshire would cost more than £200m, but that continued investment in new technology, such as the Pothole Pro, will enhance the efficiency and quality of repairs and make budgets go further.

Green Party candidates have said they will re-examine the contract with Kier Highways and encourage them to innovate and trial new technologies. They have also advocated for a proper plan for resurfacing roads in bigger projects, rather than carrying out temporary fixes and repairs.

One of Labour’s headlines this election is to ‘Fix our roads and fill the potholes’. They wrote that they will deliver better-maintained roads and pavements by ensuring that contractors deliver value for money.

The Liberal Democrats say they will draw up a ‘pothole priority plan’ that moves away from continually patching up problem areas. Instead, they will look to permanently replace worn-out roads and proactively identify those vulnerable to future damage by working with town and parish councils. The group has also highlighted a push for ‘transparency and fairness’ with the contract and say they will keep it under constant review and publicly report highway repairs by ward.

Reform UK claim that WNC “waste millions on quick fixes”. They say they will focus on fixing entire roads rather than temporary patches. They also say they will carry out a full audit of council finances to “follow the money and demand proper repairs”.

Housebuilding and regeneration

The Conservatives have said they will establish local boards to listen to communities on town centre improvements- in particular in Daventry, Towcester and Brackley. They’ve said the role of town centre managers will be strengthened to support high street businesses and local shops.

On housing, the current administration has also promised to increase the provision of affordable homes and develop temporary accommodation to meet the needs of those in crisis.

The Green Party has said it will scrutinise plans for homes and help communities to protect their neighbourhoods and villages from overdevelopment. They say proposals that don’t include upgrades to local roads, drainage, sewage treatment, playgrounds, schools and medical facilities should be sent back.

They have also said they would demand greater transparency about the council’s plans to spend Section 106 developers’ money to ensure it is used properly on local projects.

Labour has pledged to work with the Government to bring forward schemes for brownfield site development, as well as focusing on the delivery of social and affordable housing for those on the waiting list.

They have also committed to focusing investment in local communities where people live rather than ‘vanity projects’. This includes plans to transform ‘left-behind estates’ in consultation with local residents and work with town councils to deliver ‘thriving places’ for retail, employment, leisure and heritage.

The Lib Dems have listed a push to bring empty homes back to use, stating that they would allocate £20m capital to acquire properties to be used as part of the council’s social housing estate.

Further commitments relate to providing greater support to first-time buyers, including reducing the threshold so that any development of more than five homes must provide affordable housing and promoting deposit funding schemes.

Reform UK has spoken out against overdevelopment in the region, stating that it needs to be stopped. If elected, they say they will hold WNC and developers to account to deliver promised schools, GP surgeries, community hubs, and Section 106 financial contributions for large-scale proposals.

Fly-tipping and the environment

Increasing enforcement on fly-tipping by improving removal speed and strengthening penalties has been listed as a Conservative commitment in their manifesto. They say they will keep waste and recycling centres open seven days a week for better accessibility. A commitment to protect green spaces has also been made by ensuring solar panels are installed in ‘appropriate’ locations and avoiding farmland.

The Greens have said it is clear that steep fines alone are not enough to stop offenders from fly-tipping. They have advocated for council waste centres to be accessible and charges kept low. The group has also highlighted other councils’ responses (such as an awareness campaign displaying fly-tipped waste in a public park and cutting-edge digital tech) as areas to learn from and try in West Northants.

The Labour Group say that as part of their plans to support a ‘greener, cleaner environment’, they will appoint additional Neighbourhood Wardens to coordinate a drive against fly-tipping and litter. They have also committed to improving air quality in towns through the introduction of electric buses and investigating the feasibility of Park and Ride.

The Liberal Democrats have placed an emphasis on protecting the environment through reducing the council’s carbon footprint and identifying suitable locations for renewable energy in the local plan. They have also said they would develop a strategy to tackle fly-tipping and ensure the council’s nature recovery strategy is implemented.

Reform UK has not made any specific promises on how it will tackle fly-tipping in its manifesto, but it has said it will carry out a full audit of council finances to “eliminate wasteful spending” in every contract and make systems work for less.

Other promises

The Conservatives have said they are committed to keeping parking charges in Brackley, Daventry and Towcester free to protect local businesses. They’ve also revealed that free parking periods in key Northampton car parks will also be explored to support the town centre.

The Greens have said they will tackle the climate crisis by pushing for ‘bold targets’ to be included in the West Northants Climate Change Action Plan, which is due to be delivered in autumn 2025. Other areas they will work on include increasing woodland cover, encouraging the use of public transport and championing “nature friendly planning” for developments.

Labour’s local election manifesto highlighted policies for children and young people, making their safety and wellbeing its ‘top priority’. They have promised to work with SEND families to ensure that their voices are heard so that every child receives an education that suits their needs.

A focus of the Lib Dems’ local plan is ensuring all voices across West Northants are heard and making sure the council properly engages with residents. They have vowed to set “high standards of openness and integrity” and will explore creating dedicated citizen groups and forums to better connect and engage with communities.

Reform UK has said it will tackle immigration in the county, calling it a “national disgrace, but a local problem”. It says it will close asylum hotels and prioritise homes, doctors and school places for ‘Northamptonshire families first’.