Northampton councillors 'shocked' to leave home of 160 years

Some staff will move out of the historic Guildhall but the mayor will continue to be based there

Councillors said they were "shocked" at the prospect of having to leave their historic offices.

West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) made the decision to move Northampton Town Council from Guildhall at a cabinet meeting.

Councillors argued Guildhall has been the centre of Northampton's municipal and civic operations for 160 years.

When approached by the BBC, WNC said it had no further comment but previously said it would save £350,000 a year.

Northampton Town councillor Jane Birch, of Labour, said: "We are shocked at the prospect of being forced to leave the Guildhall, as it has been the administrative centre of Northampton's municipal and civic operations for 160 years."

She believed "little thought has been given to the history and traditions of Northampton".

The council urged Conservative-run WNC to reconsider the decision and welcomed further discussions about the future of Guildhall.

The Guildhall consists of a Victorian-Gothic part with a modern extension

Town councillors voted to pass a motion on Monday asking WNC to honour a 2021 decision, made by the former Northampton Borough Council, that the building would be the council's headquarters on a long leasehold arrangement.

It was originally proposed that the Mayor of Northampton's parlour and associated rooms would be used by the chairman of WNC, but this was changed by a late amendment.

The Guildhall rooms have been used by Northampton Town's mayoralty since 1864.

Conservative councillor Stephen Hibbert, Mayor of Northampton, said: "Whilst I appreciate the amendment, I find the proposal to evict the town council from the Guildhall petty and unnecessary.

"This proposal will isolate the mayor with no staff offices and disconnect the mayor from the day-to-day working of the town council, in effect fragmenting and undermining the town council's core functions."

'Perplexed and infuriated'

West Northants Labour Group leader Wendy Randall said the party was "perplexed and infuriated by WNC's decision to evict Northampton Town Council from its historic home".

WNC believe the proposal to move staff to a central office in Northampton will save taxpayers at least £350,000 a year.

However, Ms Randall said the savings will be from the closure and sale of the Guildhall Extension and unrelated to the historic part of the building.

The Labour leader also pointed out that the town council paid an annual rent of about £85,000 "that will be lost if they are forced to leave next year".

She said there is "no discernible need to evict them from their home of 160 years".

The Labour Group said it supported the council and mayor in calling the plans "petty and unnecessary".

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