21 September 2023

Essential work to remove asbestos in 35-39 Abington Street and 20-28 Wood Street and demolish the site ready for the development partner to come on board will move forward following cabinet approval.

At the cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 19 September, councillors considered documents to bring forward the safe removal of all asbestos from the site in order to enable the deconstruction of all buildings that form the entire site ahead of a development partner coming on board to provide a cleared site ready to begin construction.

This project milestone follows on from the recently launched first stage of the procurement process as WNC issued expression of interests to seek a development partner to bring this scheme forward. WNC is now in the process of reviewing interest from potential developers.

WNC were granted £9.7 million of government funding through the Town Fund scheme towards the project which has funded the acquisition of the building and the necessary preparation works. The Towns Fund is part of the Government’s plan for Levelling Up the UK economy and the Council has secured £24.9 million to invest into transforming Northampton’s Town Centre.

By removing all asbestos and carrying out the necessary deconstruction of the current buildings we can provide a clear site ready for the developers.

Ensuring that Northampton is a place where residents and businesses can thrive is a significant priority for us as a council, and the redevelopment of both Wood Street and 35-45 Abington Street will transform this area for our communities.

Through the densification of the site, it will bring forward new homes and flexible leisure space and which will lead to increased footfall into the centre to support the existing retail offer within the wider town.

Cllr Dan Lister, Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Town Centre Regeneration and Growth at WNC

The wider regeneration of Northampton Town Centre includes the Market Square redevelopment which will see this area become a cultural hub for the town centre, and public realm works in Abington Street and Fish Street which will see the area transformed with new paving, improved seating, lighting and landscaping, and public art installations.

To keep up to date with regeneration in Northampton visit www.wearenorthampton.com.

20 September 2023

Fairfields School will need some work to remove reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from two sections of roof, following surveys.

The school has made alternative arrangements on-site to ensure pupils are able to continue with their education while the necessary work is carried out.

The issue affects changing rooms for a swimming pool, one classroom, and a storage area in a separate part of the site. All other areas have been checked and confirmed safe to use.

Clearly we’re disappointed to find issues at a further school in our area, though it is somewhat of a relief that staff have been able to accommodate all pupils without any major disruption.

We are already working on a solution and will ensure the necessary work is carried out as quickly as possible, to help the school return to normal operation.

Cllr Fiona Baker, West Northamptonshire Council Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education

Contractors have already been mobilised to carry out the necessary work and are currently assessing what is involved and how long this might take.

The Department for Education has been informed of the news and will offer support to ensure the work required is carried out in a timely fashion.

This will naturally cause concern for some parents, so I would like to reassure everyone that children’s safety is our priority.

The affected parts of the school have been isolated, and the rest of our buildings have been deemed safe for us to use. We will be sure to keep parents informed whenever we have any updates.

Lesley Elder, Fairfields School Headteacher

20 September 2023

Plans to procure leisure centre contracts in Northampton and Daventry have been approved by Councillors at West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Cabinet meeting last night (19 September).

The leisure services contracts which are currently operated by Trilogy Active and Everyone Active, expire on 31 March 2026. Procuring a new contract(s) allows the Council the best opportunity to deliver value for money, opportunity to improve service delivery and ensures the Council does not breach procurement law.

There are currently 3 centres operated by Trilogy Active, including Mounts Baths, Lings Forum Leisure Centre and Danes Camp Leisure Centre, and 3 operated by Everyone Active, including Daventry Leisure Centre, Daventry Sports Park and Moulton Leisure Centre.

The contract operated by Parkwood Leisure in South Northants expires in 2034, therefore a separate procurement exercise will take place at a later date.

At the forefront of the Council’s priorities is to appoint a contractor that will not only achieve value for money but work innovatively to enhance sports and leisure facilities in West Northants, communicate effectively with the public and add social value, such as providing sports activities that will collectively benefit the wider community.

The procurement process will also enable the Council to incorporate within the new contract elements such as West Northamptonshire Council’s Corporate Plan, Social Value Strategy, Anti-Poverty Strategy, Sustainability Strategy, and align with Integrated Care Northamptonshire’s ‘Live Your Best Life’ ambitions.

Residents’ health and wellbeing, and their ability to access high quality leisure facilities are of utmost importance. This means it is absolutely crucial that we award a contract that delivers a high-quality service and meets the needs of our communities, whilst delivering value for money.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape future sport and leisure facilities in West Northamptonshire and to make sure our facilities are operating at the highest possible standards.

It’s important that our leisure providers also share our vision for a more active West Northamptonshire and work with us to inspire active communities and provide opportunities for people to live healthier lives and engage in a variety of accessible sports activities.

Cllr Adam Brown, Deputy Leader of WNC and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure

20 September 2023

Moulton Primary School is now able to welcome all students back after it was confirmed that it does not have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

The school needed to close for two days earlier this month while investigations took place, after the discovery of a construction material in one of its buildings which might have been RAAC.

Survey results have confirmed that the material, while a form of aerated concrete, was not the same substance which is currently of concern to the Government.

Work has been carried out to bring the building back into safe use, with the result that those children who temporarily could not be accommodated were able to return.

We’re so grateful for everyone’s patience while we carried out further investigations, following our initial concerns.

It’s extremely good news that children have been able to return to learning at a familiar setting, and with no further disruption on the horizon.

I would also like to say a special thank you to Moulton School and Science College which stepped up to host children from Year 6, who were displaced by the work.

We’re very pleased that the school has been found to be in a safe condition and that we won’t have to support the Department for Education in making any ongoing alternative arrangements at the school in the coming months.

Cllr Fiona Baker, West Northamptonshire Council Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education

It’s so good to have all of our children from years 1 and 6 back where they should be at the school.

We’re very grateful for the patience and support everyone has shown, and the children coped with the disruption admirably.

Lauren Jones, Acting Headteacher at Moulton Primary

18 September 2023

A pioneering training package for all taxi and private hire drivers in Northamptonshire that aims to help keep women safe on nights out has been shortlisted for an international award.

The online tutorial is currently being rolled out in both North and West Northamptonshire Council areas – to help taxi and private hire drivers spot signs that women may be in danger.

Drivers already play a big role in informally coming to the help of revellers who may find themselves vulnerable. The training aims to consolidate good practice and provide formal support.

The project is part of a package of measures intended to improve the safety of women and girls, particularly in public spaces and at night. The taxi training package and the wider programme of work has been funded largely through the Home Office Safer Streets Fund after a successful bid by the Northamptonshire Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner.

Now the training package has been recognised on the global stage, making the finals of the Music Cities Awards – a competition designed to acknowledge economic, social, environmental and cultural development in cities and places all around the world.

It will compete against entries from Bogota and Dallas in the Best Night-Time Economy Initiative category with the winners announced at a ceremony in Huntsville, Alabama, USA on October 18, 2023.

What absolutely fantastic news that this project has been shortlisted for a global award – it’s great for the county.

People should be able to enjoy a night out and feel completely safe but we know that unfortunately this isn’t always the case. I’d like to thank our drivers for the assistance that they already give - this training will help consolidate the good practice already out there provide a positive step forward so that revellers can feel more confident that someone is looking out for them.

Cllr David Brackenbury, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Growth and Regeneration

Drivers across the county play a pivotal role in keeping people safe, and do a fantastic job looking out for the signs someone might be in distress. This training formalise the great work they already do, and we welcome the news this innovate programme has been recognised on a global stage.Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety, Engagement and Regulatory Services at West Northamptonshire Council

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold thanked both unitary authorities for their involvement in implementing the training package.

Taxi drivers are in a unique position to spot if someone is vulnerable or at risk, so we wanted to make sure that they understand the signs and know what to do.

Being nominated for this award is the icing on the cake, however for me the true measure of success will be that our taxi and private hire drivers are part of the network ensuring people are safer on a night out in Northamptonshire.

Stephen Mold, Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner

The training package will be disseminated to all new and existing drivers and compromises three short videos and a knowledge check for drivers to complete, primarily around women’s safety.

The three videos cover drink spiking, sexual abuse and domestic abuse with training available in five languages: English, Turkish, Punjabi, Bengali and Urdu.

Over time, the intention is to factor this into both NNC and WNC licensing conditions with the aim that it will eventually be mandatory for drivers to complete.