Council Watch May 2025 – End of Term Report
Four years ago, the first West Northamptonshire Council was elected – a unitary authority that replaced four predecessors: Daventry Borough Council, Northampton Borough Council, Northamptonshire County Council and South Northamptonshire District Council. Lots of shoes to fill, and not an easy transition to make.
There is now a new group of councillors in charge, but the council as an entity has the same duties and responsibilities to us, the residents of West Northamptonshire. This seemed like a good time to review the story of WNC so far, through a climate lens.
Some highlights
2021
- Declaration of climate emergency by WNC –symbolic but important
2022
- WNC joined UK1001, a network of local authorities with ambitious Net Zero plans. WNC’s commitment is to deliver net zero as an authority by 2030, and for the area as a whole by 20452.
- Launch of Sustainable West Northants, an initiative linking WNC’s sustainability targets to the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, which it is fair to say perhaps didn’t have as much impact as was hoped.
- Formation of the cross-party Sustainability Working Group and recruiting WNC’s Sustainability Team have been more enduring positive steps
- Northampton Partnership Homes (owned by WNC) commenced a whole house retrofit project which improved over 470 homes
2023
- Issue of a Baseline Emissions Report for 2021/222. Potentially a little dry, but essential to establish a benchmark against which to measure future emissions.
- WNC joined the Investors in the Environment scheme3 and later achieved a Bronze Award.
- Publication of the council’s first Sustainability Report2 - an important milestone, though it would have been good to see stronger vision and commitments. The report indicated increased emissions of 3.4% vs the baseline report, not ideal but evidence of honest reporting.
- Climate Strategies approved for Estate and for Construction & Maintenance4. These were detailed, thorough and set out comprehensive plans for reducing carbon emissions. Bravo.
2024
- Second annual Sustainability Report. This included plans to implement a heat network and to decarbonise leisure centres
- Climate Change Strategy went out for consultation and was subsequently formally adopted by the WNC Cabinet in March 2025. A good piece of work, though not backed by funding to support its ambition.
- Work commenced on the Local Nature Recovery Strategy, due to be finalised in 2025
And a few lowlights….
- Active travel – there has really been nothing positive to say about progress in this area during the last four years. Delivery of an Active Travel Strategy seemed endlessly delayed, and whilst LCWIPs (Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans) have been issued for the area’s urban centres there’s been little sense of urgency about actually making changes. We must mention here the team at Living Streets Northampton3, whose good work CA-WN has often relied on.
- Co-ordinated approach – from outside the council the various strands of work to deliver on WNC’s Net Zero pledges and other environmental targets seemed to some degree fragmented, and we’d have liked to see stronger and more consistent communications on climate and environmental topics too.
References
2. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/sustainable-west-northants/sustainability-west-northants-council
4. https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/business/estates-management