12 March 2025

West Northamptonshire residents are being encouraged to give quitting a go to mark national No Smoking Day on Wednesday, 12 March. This year's awareness day focuses on the steps people can take to take their life back.

According to recent data, 95% of ex-smokers experience positive changes within just two weeks of quitting, including increased energy (45%), feeling healthier (42%), and improved breathing (42%). Additionally, quitting smoking can save individuals approximately £38 per week, or around £2,000 per year.

In West Northamptonshire, around 11% of adults smoke, having a significant impact on their physical and brain health, as well as their wealth. West Northamptonshire Council’s Stop Smoking Service offers a free 12-week course to help people quit smoking. The service provides both phone and face-to-face appointments, a free e-cigarette starter kit, and a 12-week supply of e-liquid or nicotine replacement therapy.

One participant from West Northamptonshire reached out to the service for support. The service was able to provide free tailored guidance to help them quit for good. They said: "I found the programme extremely useful in helping me to stop smoking. Charlotte was very knowledgeable, thorough, supportive, and shared a wealth of experience. She was very punctual in attending the calls and also extremely reliable in shipping nicotine replacement products to me. Overall, the programme has had a massive influence on me quitting smoking."

“Quitting smoking is the best thing you can do to improve your physical and brain health, as well as your wealth. By taking the first step of quitting for one day, you will see your oxygen level return to normal. After 48 hours of smoking your last cigarette, your body will have flushed out all the carbon monoxide, your lungs will start to clear out mucus, and your senses of taste and smell will improve. After two to 12 weeks, your blood will be pumping through to your heart and muscles much better because your circulation will have significantly improved.

“It is never too late to quit. To get in touch with the Council’s Stop Smoking Service , please visit our Stop Smoking Service page or call 0300 126 5700 (option 1) – people can contact the service directly without a referral from a health professional.”

Cllr Matt Golby, Deputy Leader of the Council and Cabinet Member for Adult Care, Public Health and Regulatory Services

Click here to find out more about the benefits of quitting smoking and how to access free local support.

10 March 2025

Residents across West Northamptonshire can now sign up for optional, chargeable garden waste collections to start from 1 April.

The annual subscription charge for the fortnightly service from April 2025 to the end of March 2026 is £60 per bin and can be done online: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/gardenwaste.

Residents can also sign up for an annual direct debit to save having to remember to renew every year.

Once households are signed up to the service, they will receive their new 2025/26 garden waste permit which they will be asked to stick on their garden waste bin. Any bins that have not subscribed will not be emptied after 1 April.

People can also recycle garden waste for free at any of West Northamptonshire Council's household waste recycling centres that will be open 7 days a week from 10am to 4pm from April.

A comprehensive list of FAQs are also available on the Council's website at www.westnorthants.gov.uk/bins-recycling-and-street-cleaning/garden-waste-collection-faqs

“Subscriptions to the 2025/26 garden waste service are now open and residents can either make a one-off payment or sign up via direct debit on our website or over the phone, saving them time and without having to remember to renew each year.

“By making this an optional service, only those who wish to receive garden waste collections have to pay for it, making it as fair for residents as possible.”

Cllr Rebecca Breese, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Environment, Recycling and Waste

More information can be found on our garden waste subscriptions page.

10 March 2025

West Northamptonshire residents are being invited to vote for the 100th object to be included in the History of Northamptonshire in 100 Objects exhibition, which comes to Northampton Museum and Art Gallery this September.

The exhibition will be the culmination of West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) three-year Arts Council England-funded Histories of Northamptonshire project, which has worked closely with individuals, groups, and communities across the county to celebrate and share Northamptonshire’s rich and diverse heritage. Covering an extensive period - from the earliest forms of life on Earth to the present day - the exhibition will showcase 100 objects that tell the story of Northamptonshire’s past.

While 99 objects have been selected by guest curators and museum experts, the final object will be chosen by the public, ensuring that the exhibition reflects what local people feel best represents Northamptonshire’s more recent history.

After an open call for nominations earlier this year, a shortlist of five objects has been selected for the public vote:

• Northampton Town Football Club League 2 Play-Off Trophy (2020) – A unique piece of sporting history, won behind closed doors due to COVID-19, symbolising resilience on and off the field.
• Diwali Festival Lantern – Representing Northampton’s Diwali Festival, which has grown from humble beginnings into a major celebration of light and unity.
• Dr. Martens Vegan Boot – A modern evolution of the iconic Northamptonshire-made footwear, blending tradition with innovation and sustainability.
• Binty Chick Graffiti – Bright and quirky graffiti artworks by the anonymous street artist “Binty Bint,” which have become a recognisable symbol of the county.
• Corby Processions Banner – Created for the national PROCESSIONS project in 2018, this banner celebrates 100 years of women’s suffrage and Corby’s activist heritage.

"This exhibition is a fantastic way to celebrate Northamptonshire’s incredible history, and we want the community to have a say in how their recent past is represented.

“Each of the shortlisted objects reflects a different aspect of our county’s evolving identity, from activism and creativity to sport and industry. I encourage everyone to cast their vote and help shape this unique exhibition."

Cllr Daniel Lister, Cabinet Member for Local Economy, Culture, and Leisure

Voting is now open and will run until Monday, 31 March 2025. cast your vote via Survey Monkey.

10 March 2025

In this update, I wanted to highlight some of the events I’ve recently attended in towards building a better future for our communities.

During the February half term, I was thrilled to get up close with the Women's Rugby World Cup trophy, which was on display at the Grosvenor Centre in the run-up to the big event later this year, which will see a number of matches played at Franklin's Gardens. This was a great chance to whet the public's appetite ahead of the tournament, and it was wonderful to meet so many people who are excited about the opportunities it brings us here in West Northants.

On 27 February I attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the new mortuary in Booth Meadow, sited next to the Riverside Retail Park and Billing Aquadrome. Scheduled to open in autumn this year, it will deliver a high standard of care and compassion when people are going through one of the most challenging times in their lives.

On Saturday 8 March it was wonderful to join our local community to celebrate International Women’s Day with a mix of live music and dance, yoga and exercise workshops.  It was an honour to present the 13th Annual Inspirational Women Awards and meet some truly inspirational women. Thank you to everyone who shares the vision, cares about women's equality, and takes action to make the world a better place for women everywhere.

The following day the mood was a little more sombre as I took part in the national Covid 19 Day of Reflection. I reflected, with my colleagues at work, the community resilience shown across West Northamptonshire and beyond during the acute phases of the Covid pandemic. 

On Monday 10 March I was joined by the Lord Lieutenant for the flag raising event for Commonwealth Day at the Guildhall. This year's theme, to celebrate the 56 member nations, is 'Together We Thrive’ and I’d like to highlight the wealth of events being held around the country which celebrate the diversity and unity of the Commonwealth.

I also wanted to mention that nominations are open for the Rose of Northamptonshire Awards. These awards are a way of shining a spotlight on some of the wonderful charities, individuals and voluntary groups that Northamptonshire Community Foundation have funded across the county. Don’t delay, as nominations will close 22 April 2025. Please visit the Northamptonshire Community Foundation website for further details.

As we move forward, I encourage us all to keep in mind the diverse needs and perspectives of our community. Through understanding and inclusivity, we can ensure that West Northants is a great place to work, visit and THRIVE.

Thank you for taking the time to read my January update. Please remember you can find out more about the Chairman's role, my chosen charities for this year, and information about how to invite me to your function or event on the Chairman's page

Cllr Jo Gilford
Chairman of the Council

10 March 2025

The much-anticipated completion of a new road that will ease congestion and improve connectivity for residents is nearing its final stages.

Works, carried out by West Northamptonshire Council’s Highways Partner Kier Transportation, to finish the southern section of the Sandy Lane Relief Road to the A4500 junction started in February following collaboration with Homes England.

This follows the northern part of the road opening to motorists in the summer of last year and forms part of the Council’s wider investment into road infrastructure across the area.

Lane closures are in place on the A4500 between Sandy Lane roundabout and Upton Valley Way North until Friday, 4 April, so that this crucial project can be completed to bring benefits to residents for years to come.

We understand that this may cause some temporary delays to motorists and would like to thank people for their patience over the coming weeks.

“It was great to visit the Sandy Lane Relief Road site last week to see how well work is progressing on this vital project to provide better connectivity to local communities and provide relief to places such as Harpole and Duston. We are on track to open the entire route to motorists later this Spring, much earlier than originally planned. We know that the current lane closures on the A4500 will cause some delays and appreciate people’s patience whilst the works are completed. I'd also like to thank Homes England for their collaboration in bringing forward the delivery of the road.”Cllr Adam Brown, Leader of the Council

“Works are progressing well with the Sandy Lane Relief Road, we have worked collaboratively with West Northamptonshire Council throughout to ensure customers are at the heart of delivery. We are pleased to work on projects that will support our communities, and we look forward to the road opening later this spring.”Edith Shah, general manager at Kier Transportation

Residents can keep up to date with highways projects in West Northants on the Council's website.