Three area-based committees to decide on planning applications when West Northamptonshire council launches

The area-based committees will be responsible for applications such as residential extensions while a Strategic Planning Committee will deal with larger applications
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New planning committees will be set up when the unitary councils launch in Northamptonshire next month.

On April 1, Daventry District Council, Northampton Borough Council, South Northamptonshire Council will become West Northamptonshire Council and Corby Council, Kettering Borough Council, Borough Council of Wellingborough and East Northamptonshire Council will become North Northamptonshire Council.

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As the county moves to unity authorities, new arrangements from council functions will be made.

West Northants Council will be responsible for planning, and other matters, for the Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire areas from next month.West Northants Council will be responsible for planning, and other matters, for the Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire areas from next month.
West Northants Council will be responsible for planning, and other matters, for the Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire areas from next month.

Under the new council’s planning arrangements, there will be three ‘area-based’ committees – one each for Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire, which will determine certain planning applications submitted by residents, businesses and developers. For instance residential extensions to ensure residents are still applying to members who are local to themselves.

Alongside this, a new Strategic Planning Committee will be set up to deal with larger, major applications, such as housing developments and blocks of flats, which carry wider economic and growth implications for West Northamptonshire, such as Sustainable Urban Extensions.

Councillor Adam Brown, planning portfolio holder for the West Northamptonshire shadow authority said: “Planning services play an important role within the everyday lives of our residents, whether they are looking to extend their home or are interested in development that’s taking place in their local area.

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“These committee arrangements ensure that local decision-making remains at the heart of the planning process across West Northamptonshire and continues to put engagement with local communities at the forefront of planning issues.”

The planning committees will begin to sit after councillors have been elected to the new authority in May and once committee memberships are agreed by the new council.

In the meantime existing planning committee arrangements will continue as usual – this will involve interim committee meetings of the shadow councillors who currently sit on the existing district and borough planning committees.

Residents’ planning applications will continue to be processed and dealt with in the usual way, however from April 1, applications will have to be made on the West Northamptonshire Council website, which can be found here.Ahead of the new councils launching, council tax bills have also been sent out to residents. Read more about how the bills are affected here.

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