West Northamptonshire Council is the local authority for West Northamptonshire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The council has been under Reform UK majority control since the 2025 election. Full council meetings are generally held at Northampton Guildhall, and the council's main offices are at One Angel Square in Northampton.
History The council was created in 2021. It took over the functions of the three abolished district councils of Daventry District Council, Northampton Borough Council, and South Northamptonshire District Council, as well as the functions of the abolished Northamptonshire County Council within the area.
Governance Legally, West Northamptonshire Council is a district council which also performs the functions of a county council, making it a unitary authority. Some county-wide functions, such as the Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service, are overseen by joint committees of West Northamptonshire Council and North Northamptonshire Council, the other unitary authority in the county.
The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.
Political control Since the 2025 election, Reform UK have held a majority of the seats on the council: Party in controlYears 2021–2025 2025–present
Leadership The leader of the council from its first meeting following its creation in 2021 was Jonathan Nunn, who was the last leader of the old Northampton Borough Council. Ian McCord, outgoing Conservative leader of the old South Northamptonshire District Council, had served as leader of the shadow authority set up to oversee the transition to the new arrangements.
Councillor Party From To Jonathan Nunn 20 May 2021 18 April 2024 Adam Brown 16 May 2024 May 2025 Mark Arnull 15 May 2025 The councils Chief Executive is the councils Head of Paid Service. The list of Councils Chief Executives is as follows; +Chief ExecutiveFrom ToAnna EarnshawApril 2021November 2025Martin Henry (Interim) November 2025August 2026Martin Henry August 2026
Composition Following the 2025 election, and subsequent changes up to July 2026, the composition of the council was: Party Councillors 39 17 8 8 2 2Total 76 Two of the independent councillors sit together as the Independent Group. The next election is due in 2029.
Elections
Elections for a shadow authority were due to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020 but were postponed until 6 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the last boundary changes in 2025, the council has comprised 76 councillors representing 35 wards, each electing one, two or three councillors. Elections are held every four years.
Premises
Full council meetings are generally held at Northampton Guildhall, with the nearby former Northamptonshire County Council offices at One Angel Square serving as the council's headquarters.
The council also inherited offices at The Forum in Towcester from South Northamptonshire District Council and Lodge Road in Daventry from Daventry District Council. The Forum continues to be used as additional offices and for some committee meetings, whilst Lodge Road has closed, being replaced by a smaller area office in Daventry.
Arms
Notes
See also 2019–2023 structural changes to local government in England North Northamptonshire Council, another unitary authority created in Northamptonshire in April 2021.
References