Your chance to have your say on the future of Northampton's new unitary council

The Government has invited all eight local authorities across Northamptonshire to submit a single proposal for a change to unitary status, in which services would be provided by a single organisation rather than split between county and borough or district councils.

The proposal is due to be submitted to the Secretary of State for communities James Brokenshire by August 31.

The countywide consultation is already underway but Northampton Borough Council has launched its own separate questionnaire.

Council leader, Cllr Jonathan Nunn, said: “We would like people to take part and complete our questionnaire so we can really be clear what matters to the people of Northampton in terms of events and activities but also the wider traditions that we celebrate here in the town.

“This is separate to the wider countywide questionnaire and again we would urge people to complete this.

“Neither of the questionnaires take long to fill out, yet they give people the opportunity to help shape the future of public services in Northampton.”

You can visit www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/NorthamptonLife to take part in the borough council survey.

The official consultation document and questionnaire can be found at www.futurenorthants.gov.uk

However, the leaders of all the authorities have been told that a single county-wide unitary cannot be an option

Each new proposed authority must have a population 'substantially in excess of 300,000'.

The proposal must also be based on existing council boundaries.

At a special Northampton Borough Council meeting in May, the controlling Conservative group said it was more than likely the town would be joined with Daventry District Council and South Northamptonshire Council to form a single authority - West Northamptonshire.

It would likely come into effect from 2020.