Rural South Northamptonshire Ward Report – Summer 2025
Please find below our report for summer 2025.
Housing Land Availability Report (HLA)
The Council published its annual Housing Land Availability report in July 2025, as required by national planning policy.
The report confirms a 5.5-year housing land supply as of 1 April 2025, based on:
Planning permissions
Allocations in adopted plans
Assumed windfall sites
The housing requirement is now set at 2,503 dwellings per annum, using national methodology. This replaces the previous West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy figures, which are now considered outdated
One West Northamptonshire Plan (2025–2030)
Developed under the previous administration, the One West Northamptonshire Plan sets strategic priorities for the Council and partner organisations through 2030.
The plan outlines five guiding principles:
Inclusive growth
Collaboration
Prevention-focused services
Efficient working
Environmental sustainability
Stakeholder engagement included over 220 responses and 704 comments, with approximately 75% support for the proposed priorities.
Sustainability Strategy Revision
In July 2025, the Council revised its Sustainability Strategy:
Net zero targets for 2030 and 2045 were removed.
Climate-related terminology was replaced with “environmental impact.”
The Council continues to pursue green initiatives such as solar energy and home insulation projects.
The decision has been formally called in for scrutiny by councillors from multiple parties. A review will be held by the Place and Resources Overview and Scrutiny Committee on 19 August 2025
Flag Protocol Policy
A new flag protocol was introduced in June 2025:
Permitted flags include the Union Flag, St George’s Flag, Armed Forces Flag, and Council Flag.
Flags representing community groups (e.g. Pride, Windrush) are excluded.
The policy was approved by Cabinet and is now in effect!
Housing Services Consultation
The Council launched a consultation on the future of Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH):
Proposal to bring housing services back under direct council control.
Consultation runs until 7 September 2025.
£77 million is allocated for social housing investment in 2025–26.
Budget & Financial Planning
The Council is preparing its 2025–26 budget, targeting £26.2 million in savings.
Since its formation in 2021, the Council has achieved £115 million in efficiency savings.
A proposed 2.99% council tax increase and 2.7% rent increase were consulted earlier in the year.
Tiffield SEND School – Progress Update
Construction of the new SEND school in Tiffield, serving pupils aged 4–18 with autism and severe learning difficulties, is on track for completion by summer 2025.
The school will offer 230 places and include specialist facilities such as sensory rooms, a rebound therapy room, and outdoor learning areas.
It is being delivered by Willmott Dixon and will be operated by the Greenwood Academies Trust.
The project is part of a £21.4 million investment in specialist education provision.
Cllr Fiona Baker, former Conservative Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Education, has been the driving force behind the initiative, highlighting its importance in meeting rising local demand for SEND placements.
Families interested in placements should engage through their child’s EHCP review process.
HS2 Construction & Resident Support
HS2 construction continues to affect communities across our ward.
We fully acknowledge the severe and ongoing disruption caused by HS2 works — from noise and dust to traffic delays and loss of amenity.
The impact on residents, businesses, and the local environment has been deeply damaging, and we share your concerns.
As your elected representatives, we are actively working to hold HS2 Ltd to account:
We have repeatedly raised concerns with HS2 Ltd regarding poor communication, lack of responsiveness, and failure to mitigate impacts.
We’ve submitted detailed feedback on behalf of residents to HS2 and West Northamptonshire Council, demanding stronger oversight and enforcement. We regularly attend coordination meetings to push for better planning, clearer timelines, and improved community engagement.
We’ve visited affected sites, spoken directly with residents, and escalated specific cases where disruption has been excessive or mishandled.
We continue to press for public updates, clearer communication channels, and meaningful consultation with local communities.
We will continue to stand up for residents and hold HS2 to account at every opportunity. This is not a one-off effort — it’s an ongoing commitment to ensure your voices are heard and your concerns addressed.
Charles Manners 07836 550356 Alison Eastwood 07967 867726 David Smith 07845 120924
Ward Councillors – Rural South Northamptonshire Ward.
