24 November 2025

Britain’s Got Talent Finalists Northants Sings Out and popular Northampton singer-songwriter Billy Lockett will lead Northampton’s first ever large-scale Christmas carol sing-along in the Market Square, bringing live music, festive cheer and community spirit to the town centre this December.

Taking place on Saturday 13 December from 2pm to 6pm, this free family event will showcase an exciting line-up of local talent; including NMPAT, The Performing Rooms, The Nene Valley Community Band, plus a selection of school and cultural groups who will lead the ultimate Christmas carol concert for residents and visitors.

West Northamptonshire Council is also inviting a local community or school choirs to help open the event with a festive performance. Groups interested in taking part are encouraged to register their interest as soon as possible by emailing [email protected].

"Carols on the Square promises to be a fantastic new addition to our festive calendar, offering residents and visitors the perfect opportunity to sing along to their favourite Christmas classics with a hot chocolate or some mulled wine in hand.

Alongside the premium new ice rink and a host of other festive activities, this event will help make Northampton a truly magical place to be this Christmas. We are still welcoming an additional choir to get involved and open the event, so I would urge anyone interested to get in touch as soon as possible."

Cllr James Petter, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture, and Leisure

Carols on the Square will run alongside Northampton’s brand-new premium covered ice rink, delivered by the engineers behind ITV’s Dancing on Ice and the iconic rink at London’s Somerset House. Visitors can find out more and book their skating tickets online. The event also provides a taste of what’s in store for ChoirFest, coming to Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre on 14 February 2026.

21 November 2025

This winter, residents across West Northamptonshire are being encouraged to think about how often they use their log burners and solid-fuel appliances, and how small changes at home can help everyone breathe cleaner air.

Many people enjoy the comfort of a real fire, and for some households a burner is an important or even essential heat source. The Burning Question campaign is encouraging people to think about when they burn and how they burn, because the choices made indoors affect the air, we all share outside.

Tiny particles released when burning, known as particulate matter (PM), move quickly into the air and into our bodies. Over time, this can increase the risk of conditions such as heart disease, asthma and lung problems. The good news is that residents can take simple steps that reduce the amount of smoke produced and lower the risk for the whole community.

Practical steps residents can take:

• Burn only when you need to. If your home is already warm, consider skipping the fire that evening.
• Use Ready to Burn fuel. Dry, certified fuel burns more cleanly and gives off far fewer particles.
• Keep your burner and chimney clean. A clean system burns more efficiently and produces less smoke.
• Get your fire up to temperature quickly. This reduces incomplete burning and cuts pollution.
• If you burn for atmosphere, think about using layers, a heated throw, or other low-impact alternatives.

“We all want the same thing, clean, healthy air for our families and the people who live around us. Many of us don’t realise how much burning at home adds to local air pollution, especially in the colder months.

“This isn’t about telling people what they can and can’t do. It’s about each of us taking simple, practical steps that cut down harmful particles and smoke to make a real difference to everyone’s health. When more households burn less often, or burn in a cleaner way, the impact adds up across our communities.

This is something we can do together. Small changes at home help protect the air we share and support the wellbeing of our neighbours now and in the future.”

Cllr Andrew Last, Cabinet Member for HR Corporate and Regulatory Services

Throughout the winter, residents will see information, tips and simple questions to ask themselves before lighting a fire aiming to help every household make informed choices that fit their needs while still contributing to cleaner air.

To find advice and practical guidance, visit The Burning Question webpage.
 

20 November 2025

West Northamptonshire’s gritting crews are now out and about helping to keep the area’s roads safe this winter.

With colder conditions closing in, we’re working with our highways partner Kier Transportation, to cover more than 1,100 km of priority routes across the network.

To support this, we’ve stockpiled more than 5,000 tonnes of salt and prepared 885 grit bins for community use.

Our fleet of 12 specialist gritters is fully serviced and on standby, ready to respond whenever conditions demand.

Keeping our roads safe during winter is a top priority. We’ve worked closely with Kier to ensure our gritting fleet is fully prepared and crews are on standby 24/7.

While gritting helps reduce ice, it doesn’t eliminate risk entirely, so we urge drivers to take extra care and adapt their driving to the conditions. Residents can also play their part by reporting any road defects or empty grit bins via our website.

Cllr Richard Butler, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport

WNC uses route-based forecasting, with gritting triggered when road temperatures are predicted to fall below 0.5°C, based on data from weather stations and sensors across the network.

Supporting West Northamptonshire in keeping the road network safe throughout the winter months is a key priority.

Our teams and specialist gritting fleet are prepared to respond around the clock, using advanced forecasting and treatment methods to help reduce the risk of ice.

We encourage all road users to drive with extra care during severe conditions and follow safety advice when travelling near gritters.

Kier General Manager, Allan Rigby

Residents can help by following these safety tips:

• Never tailgate gritters – leave a sensible distance
• Pass carefully and only when safe
• Reduce speed and adapt driving in severe conditions
• Report empty grit bins or road defects

Find out more about gritting routes and other winter service information.

19 November 2025

This morning (Wednesday 19 November) marked the official opening of the new transformative expansion at The Gateway School, which includes carefully designed spaces that provide a broader, more inclusive curriculum for students.

The new facilities at The Gateway School located in Towcester, were officially opened this morning following a ribbon cutting event led by the Deputy Lieutenant, Mrs. Alexandra Williams and Tobias, a Gateway School student. The opening marked a significant moment, acknowledging the extensive planning, partnership working and £5.5 million investment from West Northamptonshire Council into the development of the new facilities.

The Gateway School, part of Creating Tomorrow Trust, is a special secondary school for children aged 11-16 with an Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP), whose primary need is linked to social, emotional and/or mental health (SEMH). The refurbished spaces, transformed from an abandoned building, now include a gym, food technology suite, ICT and science rooms, drama studio, nurture spaces, a multi-use games area (MUGA), horticulture area, and a newly refurbished sports hall and pool. These additions complement the school’s existing specialist areas for craft design and technology (CDT), art, music, motor vehicles, bricklaying and hair and beauty.

With the new areas being used from the start of this academic year, they are already fostering engagement, building confidence and laying strong foundations for success beyond the school gates for students. As well as offering brand new facilities, this expansion also increases capacity of the school, by an additional 55 places.

This expansion is a vital investment in our young people’s futures. The enhanced facilities at The Gateway School are already providing greater support for young people with social, emotional, and mental health needs, helping them thrive both academically and personally. It is really encouraging to see the difference these facilities are making and I’d like to share a huge thanks to all involved in making it happen.Cllr Kathryn Shaw, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education at West Northamptonshire Council

We’re delighted to have these brilliant new spaces, which have been designed to meet the evolving needs of our students. This expansion allows us to offer a richer, more diverse curriculum and a nurturing environment where every pupil can feel valued and supported. The positive impact on students since September is already evident and will only continue to grow as the facilities become fully embedded in daily school life.Conor Renihan, Executive Head at The Gateway School

20 November 2025

The winner of West Northamptonshire’s Male Role Model Awards was announced last night (Wednesday 19 November 2025) at a ceremony which celebrated local men and boys who have gone above and beyond in their community, whilst raising awareness of men’s wellbeing.  

The awards ceremony, which was held at the Guildhall in Northampton was attended by those shortlisted, as well as local partners and organisations to share information, resources and signposting on men’s mental wellbeing support available. With a joint aim of recognising those who have had a positive impact in their local community, as well as putting a spotlight on the importance of men’s wellbeing, the event was a great success with a real sense of buzz, interest and celebration.  

The winner of 2025 Male Role Model Awards in West Northamptonshire is John Stephens, who was nominated for his outstanding commitment to his community despite his own personal challenges and recent health battle. John is known to many locally for his dedicated work at his local food larder in Roade, where he is a voluntary coordinator and leads a team of 30 volunteers who support over 100 families every week.  John’s resilience, dedication and commitment make him a true role model and inspiration to us all.  

I feel honoured to win this award, and I thank those who nominated me for it. Everyone that is at the event is inspirational; there are so many men doing amazing things to help other men and they’re all role models for me as well.John Stephens, 2025 Male Role Model Awards winner in West Northamptonshire

A special recognition was also given to Junior Anderson, a retired police officer who is continuing to make remarkable impact in his community. Through martial arts and mentorship, he has helped countless young people turn their lives around. In addition to this, he also organises free summer events at Billing Pocket park, showing his unwavering commitment to creating positive opportunities for others. John added: 

I was speechless when I received this award. There are so many other worthy nominees, and everyone deserved to win. I thank West Northants Council for this event, and for giving me this special recognition.John Stephens, 2025 Male Role Model Awards winner in West Northamptonshire

These awards are a great recognition for those that go above and beyond for their local community and it is truly special that all those shortlisted have been nominated by people in the area where they live and work, I don’t believe there is better recognition than that.

The shortlists this year were inspiring and it is fantastic that these awards can be held on International Mens Day, bringing together the importance of men’s mental wellbeing with the recognition and celebration that comes from the nominations.

Cllr Charlie Hastie, Cabinet Member for Communities and Housing