15 December 2022

Winter is upon us, with shorter days and colder weather, bringing with it the common bugs and illnesses that we see more of during this time of year.

That’s why West Northamptonshire Council has created our 'Winter Wellbeing Webpage' which brings together local advice, top tips and guidance so you have all the information you need, in one place, to stay safe and healthy over this winter period.

On this page, you will find lots of information on looking after you and those around you this winter period, from eating and sleeping well to, hand hygiene, keeping the bugs at bay and reducing falls!

We also know it is a time to reflect on the year we have had with many of us, making goals or setting achievements for the New Year – whether it be to stop smoking, moving more or improving your mental wellbeing.

So, why not look through our advice and top tips below and where needed reach out to our services to find out more or sign up for the support on offer?

Included in the easy-to-use, drop-down menus are 'Keeping Bugs at Bay,' 'How to Boost your Immunity,' 'Cost of Living Financial and Practical Support' and 'How to look after your Mental Health.'

“We know that the winter months can present some tough challenges to looking after your health and wellbeing, as viruses spread, and financial pressures increase. This combined with the fact that the festive season can be difficult and lonely time for many, meaning it’s often easy to neglect our own personal wellbeing.

“We want residents to know that they are not alone and there is a brilliant range of cost of living and mental health and wellbeing support in West Northamptonshire on offer, to help our residents through these difficult times. Often, one of the challenges is finding this support and we hope that this webpage ,where we have brought everything together in one place, will help.”

Cllr Matt Golby, Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care and Public Health

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold has launched a consultation on the level of council tax precept for policing and fire and rescue services in the county next year, warning that these services are under pressure from the financial challenges facing the country.

Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service  are funded by a combination of central government grants and local council tax. Around 18% of the council tax paid by households in the county comes to local police and fire services.

This year, the settlement from the government is based on the expectation that the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will ask for an increase in the local council tax precept of £15 or 5.3% a year for policing and £5 a year or 7.3% for fire and rescue – both significantly below the rate of inflation.

Stephen Mold said that police and fire services would continue to be squeezed by the impact of rising prices, and even with an increase at this level, both services will need to look for savings.

“Over the past few years, we have invested in more police and firefighters and improved services  – and that comes at a cost.  Maintaining gains we have made may just be sustainable with this level of increase. While we may still have to make savings, the extent depends on the support taxpayers are prepared to give. I understand the pressures that every  household is facing and I genuinely want to know what people are prepared to pay for their emergency services,” he said.

Northamptonshire Fire & Rescue Service

Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service is the second lowest-funded fire service in the country.

Since transferring to the governance of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner, investment from local council taxpayers and extra investment from the Government has bought stability.

Twelve new firefighters have been recruited, bringing the number to 254, and outdated equipment has been replaced. The most recent report from HMICFRS found that Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service had progressed from ‘requires improvement’ to ‘good’ for both efficiency and effectiveness.

Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner Stephen Mold said that given these improvements, the impact of inflation will be particularly harsh on the county’s fire service.

“NFRS has made great progress, but the service is incredibly lean. The impact of years of under-funding have made a mark and we are only just reaching stability and able to plan.  There are small reserves to draw on, but that is not a sustainable way to operate an essential public service.

“A council tax increase of £5 or 7.3%, will not cover rising costs, but it will go some way towards helping us maintain progress. But with such a lean model, we may still have to look for further savings where we can,” Stephen said.

Northamptonshire Police

Northamptonshire Police is on target to have the most police officers it has ever had, with 1,500 by March 2023.  An additional 330 officers have been recruited over the last few years, some funded through the Government’s recruitment scheme and some through local council tax investment.

Stephen Mold said that a council tax increase in the coming year of £15 for policing would allow police officer numbers to be kept at this level and for investments that will increase efficiency to be prioritised.

“Having more police officers has enabled a new focus on neighbourhood policing and proactive policing on the crimes that really matter to people. This is what people have told me that they want from their local police.

“We have worked to be as efficient as possible, by sharing buildings and supporting staff between police and fire, for example. We’ll continue to do that where we can, but we will still face considerable pressure on our budgets next year.”

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire and Rescue Services noted that Northamptonshire Police is “structurally underfunded”, and Stephen said he continues to lobby the Home Office to review the formula which decides how much funding each area receives.

“The funding formula is not fair across the country, so that council taxpayers in Northamptonshire pick up more of the bill for policing than residents of other counties.

“That’s not right and it puts us at a real disadvantage. I have lobbied the Home Office and our local MPs for a review of the funding formula to make it fairer for everyone, and I will continue to press for that change,” Stephen Mold said.

Consultation

“People have made their priorities for their emergency services clear to me; I now want to know what they think about the precept increase that would help these priorities to be met.”

The consultation runs until 4.30pm on January 17, 2023, and can be found at https://www.research.net/r/OPFCC2023counciltaxconsultation

Alternatively, scan the QR code below.

The Commissioner’s budget proposal will go to the Police, Fire and Crime Panel early in the new year.

13 December 2022

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has successfully been granted more than £5.4m in funding from the Government to boost the local economy over the next three years.

The funding, provided by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), is the largest allocation in the South East Midlands and will be used to improve people’s life chances, increase skills, create stronger communities, and support local businesses.

The Council submitted its investment plan back in September and underwent a robust consultation process which involved engaging with stakeholders to identify priority areas that would benefit most from a share of the funding.

The funding will be split between three key areas; “Communities and Place” and “People and Skills”, with the largest portion assigned to Supporting Local Businesses.

Some expected outcomes from the funding include:

• New and improved cycleways and paths, resulting in increased active travel
• Funding for volunteer and social action projects
• Measures to reduce the cost of living, improve energy efficiency, and combat fuel poverty and climate change
• Decarbonisation and improving the natural environment
• Support for new business start-ups and continued support at all stages of development
• Driving employment growth, with tailored support and training to help people into work;

An additional £1.9m has been secured as Multiply funding, which is specifically targeted at improving adult numeracy to advance people’s chances of progressing their careers.

Delivery partners are currently being invited to bid for contracts to help the council deliver these numeracy courses for residents aged 19+.

WNC has also been allocated a further £1.367m from the Government under the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF), which is a top-up of the UKSPF and aims to support small business and community infrastructure specifically in rural areas.

Final approval for this element of funding is expected in the New Year, with funded programmes to commence in April 2023.

"We are delighted to have received final Government approval for this funding which will help us to provide the best possible support to residents, businesses and communities in West Northamptonshire, as well as increasing opportunities, skills, development and training to those most in need.

"We have worked closely with stakeholders, community groups and local partners to analyse the greatest needs for this funding, and most importantly, to deliver economic prosperity in West Northamptonshire, making it a place where everyone will thrive."

Cllr Dan Lister, Cabinet Member for economic development, town centre regeneration and growth

The UKSPF is a central pillar of the UK government’s ambitious Levelling Up agenda and a significant component of its support for places across the UK. It provides £2.6 billion of new funding for local investment by March 2025 and replaces European Structural and Investment Fund (ESIF) funding.

See UKSPF for more information.

13 December 2022

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has today published its draft 2023/24 budget and will be seeking people’s views on a series of savings proposals that address a significant funding gap whilst still protecting essential services.

In the current climate of economic recession and public spending pressures affecting local authorities across the country, the Council found itself facing a predicted budget shortfall of almost £60m for the next financial year, due to factors including rising inflation rates driving up running costs and a significant increase in demand for services.

With the financial and demand challenges most evident around supporting children in care, vulnerable adults, and those needing temporary housing, WNC has acted quickly and early to identify a range of proposed measures to bridge the deficit, which represents about 16% of the net £377m budget required to run the Council and its services in 2023/24.

At their meeting next week (Tuesday 20 December), Cabinet members will initially consider the draft proposals, with a six-week public consultation launching the following day (21 December) enabling residents to have their say ahead of the final budget going to Full Council in February.

The draft budget features a broad range of proposals aiming to bridge the funding shortfall primarily through productivity gains, efficiencies and savings in operating costs.

Additional proposals focus on areas including:

• Protecting funding so we can meet the demand in critical services like adults and children’s by increasing discretionary fees and charges in other areas where residents can choose if they wish to use the service, such as garden waste collections and car parking charges. Proposals involve aligning fees with national averages and in some cases raising charges not reviewed for several years, to ensure they fairly reflect today’s operating costs.

• Reviewing services to make them more efficient whilst saving taxpayers money. Proposals include reviewing the current Home to School Transport policy, processes and systems to reduce the service’s current running costs, with public consultation set to take place in the new year, introducing three-weekly waste collections in areas of South Northants and some parts of Northampton in line with the existing service for Daventry residents and reviewing the current locations of household waste and recycling centres to save hundreds of thousands of pounds.

• Proposing to raise Council Tax by 4.99%, in line with the Government’s allowance by crucially generating additional funding of around £11.5m towards bridging the £60m shortfall - with 2% of the increase going towards adults social care.

• Restructuring service areas within the organisation and introducing new, more efficient ways of working to make back office savings without impacting on how services are delivered to residents. Work on bringing down the deficit started in the summer, involving imposing spending restrictions and tighter controls across the authority.

Recognising the major pressures and demand for adult and children’s services, the draft budget also proposes to invest significant extra funding into these areas to improve preventative and cost-effective care for West Northamptonshire’s most vulnerable residents.

During the next financial year the Council also plans to carry out a capital investment programme of more than £12.2m to improve local roads, including a £4.7m fund towards mending potholes, as well as earmarking public health funding for the year ahead to progress a range of schemes aimed at improving residents’ wellbeing, reducing health inequalities and continuing to support communities through the ongoing cost of living crisis.

In 2023/24 the Council will also continue to deliver upon plans to drive economic growth in West Northants with further progress expected on delivering multi-million-pound plans to revitalise the centre of Northampton through the Government’s Towns Fund, starting in the new year with the Market Square transformation.

“Like all councils nationally, we are facing serious financial pressures and must do everything possible to address these whilst continuing to meet our duties to protect and deliver vital services to our residents.

“We have worked hard and acted quickly on plans to shape a credible, balanced budget for next year, but doing so has meant making some really tough choices on how we can save more money and raise extra income to cover the costs of increasingly high service demand.

"We must also address the impact of high inflation on our running costs and central to our efforts is saving money by following good practice to make services more efficient, with proposals to increase fees and charges focused around discretionary services where residents have choices on whether they wish to use them.

“Proposing to raise Council Tax during a period of high inflation is a most difficult decision we have to consider, but as a major funding stream for our Council, not doing so would mean having to look at more drastic measures that would impact on services residents rely upon to meet their everyday needs.”

Councillor Malcolm Longley, Cabinet Member for Finance

“We know how difficult things are for everyone with the ongoing cost of living increases and the importance of ensuring next year’s budget continues to provide essential support and services to help residents through these hard times.

“It’s also crucial that as well as protecting frontline services we also continue to work towards delivering upon our ambitions for a better West Northants and invest where we can to do so.

“Putting this draft budget together has been far from easy but we are hopeful it strikes a fair balance in the light of our financial challenges and I would encourage people to have their say in the forthcoming public consultation.”

Councillor Jonathan Nunn, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council

Cllr Longley added that the draft proposals avoided relying on the Council’s finite reserves and contingency funds to address the challenges.

He said: “This year’s unexpected demand and inflation pressures have shown how important it is that we retained some contingencies and reserves to ensure we can meet our duties, as without them we would have had to cut services this year. While we try to model and plan prudently for the future, we also do not yet know how the cost of living challenges may cause further unexpected demand in our key services

“Some councils nationally are facing much bigger deficits than the reserves that they have and having learned lessons from the past, we cannot let that happen in Northamptonshire.”

Cabinet will consider the draft budget proposals during their meeting at The Forum, Towcester, from 6pm on Tuesday, 20 December – this can be watched live via the Council’s Youtube Channel.

The full 2023/24 draft budget reports are available to view at the Agenda for Cabinet on Tuesday 20 December 2022.

13 December 2022

Councillors will be updated next week on how West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is tackling the shortfall in its budget this year as unpredictable financial challenges take hold of local authorities across the country.

Having initially set a balanced budget for this financial year (22/23) back in February, significant cost and demand pressures started emerging this summer that no-one could have expected. This includes the impact of high and rising inflation on operating costs, contracts and supply chains, and the Cost of Living increases and post pandemic effects driving up demand for services, particularly those that protect the young, elderly and vulnerable.

At their meeting next week (Tuesday 20 December), Cabinet members will receive an update on the Council’s 2022-23 budget position , that will show that swift action has brought the deficit down from £7.6m in Quarter 2, to a current position of £3.7m, with progress expected to continue to bridge the shortfall by the end of March.

The Council, which is not unique in facing these emerging pressures, launched a financial review across the organisation earlier this year, imposing measures including stricter spending controls, and revisiting existing budgets to see where further savings and efficiencies could be made. Alongside this, the Council has continued to drive forward its work to transform services so they are more efficient and effective in the long run.

“Having made a strong start in our first year as a new authority by stabilising services and balancing the books, the new financial and demand challenges that surfaced this year could not have been predicted and have caught many Councils out.

"Our prudent planning meant we had some protection from contingency funding set aside for just this kind of challenge, but we also knew we had to act early and quickly to start addressing them in a way that protects services as a priority and puts us on a sustainable footing.

“We’ve worked hard over the past five months to close the funding gap with a concerted effort from all staff to identify where further efficiencies and savings can be made and "continue to make encouraging progress in bringing this year’s budget back into balance.”

Councillor Malcolm Longley, Cabinet Member for Finance

Cabinet will consider the Council’s current financial position at their meeting at The Forum, Towcester, from 6pm on Tuesday, 20 December – this can be watched live via the Council’s Youtube Channel.