North Northamptonshire shadow unitary council 'in place next year'

Corby Borough Council could be abolished to make way for a single north Northamptonshire unitary authority

A shadow unitary authority for north Northamptonshire could be in place next year, a council has been told.

Council elections for 2019 are likely to be suspended and a transitional unitary formed, Corby Borough Council members were told.

Corby, Kettering, Wellingborough and East Northants councils will all nominate members for the new body.

Corby Borough Council leader Tom Beattie broke the news to councillors at a full council meeting on Thursday.

The move comes after Local Government Secretary Sajid Javid decided to scrap Northamptonshire County Council following a damning inspection report.

Two government commissioners are expected to come in and run the county council by the end of April.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), council leaders across Northamptonshire were given details of the timeline at a meeting with senior civil servant Paul Rowsell, deputy director for democracy, in Wellingborough on Wednesday.

A report into the finances at Northamptonshire County Council recommended it should be scrapped and replaced by two unitary authorities for the county

New town councils for Corby, Kettering and Wellingborough could also be created.

The same will happen in the west of the county, paving the way for the abolition of the county council.

It is expected the legislation will go to Parliament in December.

Mr Beattie told Corby councillors that the failure of Northamptonshire County Council "did not come as a surprise to any of us as we watched the car crash slowly take place".

He said council leaders were told if they did issue a proposal for local government in the county, the commissioners would.

The councils have until 27 July to submit a proposal to Mr Javid. They have been advised one unitary for the county is not an option.

The legislation to establish unitary councils and delay the 2019 elections will be voted on in Parliament.

The shadow unitary will oversee the transition to the new authority by spring 2020 with elections that May.