The Council of North Northamptonshire Council is scheduled to meet on Wednesday 18 March 2026. The primary item for discussion is the potential creation of a Foundation Strategic Authority for Northamptonshire, which would involve submitting an Expression of Interest to the government. The meeting will also include opportunities for public participation through statements and questions.

Devolution and Foundation Strategic Authorities

A significant portion of the meeting is dedicated to discussing the potential creation of a Foundation Strategic Authority (FSA) for Northamptonshire. This follows the publication of the English Devolution White Paper in December 2024, which outlines a government goal for universal coverage of Strategic Authorities across England. The report pack details the opportunities that devolution offers, the different types of Strategic Authorities, and their associated roles and responsibilities.

The report highlights that the government is inviting areas to submit Expressions of Interest for FSAs by 20 March 2026. It is proposed that North Northamptonshire Council works with West Northamptonshire Council to submit a joint Expression of Interest for an FSA covering Northamptonshire. The report notes that while a wider South Midlands geography would meet all government criteria for devolution, political consensus for such a broad area is currently lacking. Therefore, the recommended option is to pursue an FSA for Northamptonshire, while remaining open to expanding the geography in the future should the opportunity arise.

The report also addresses the government's consultation on geographies for Spatial Development Strategies (SDS). SDSs are intended to provide a high-level spatial framework for housing growth and infrastructure investment. The consultation proposes an SDS geography for Bedford, Central Bedfordshire, Luton, and Milton Keynes, but does not currently include North Northamptonshire or West Northamptonshire. The council is invited to submit proposals to inform final decisions on SDS geographies by 26 March 2026. The report suggests that the response to the SDS consultation should align with the Expression of Interest for an FSA, proposing Northamptonshire as the geography for a new SDS.

The report outlines the potential benefits of devolution, including devolved powers over transport, skills, housing, economic development, environment, health, and public safety, as well as access to devolved funding. It also discusses the implications of not pursuing devolution, which could lead to the area missing out on funding and having devolution imposed by ministerial directive.

The report details the differences between the three levels of Strategic Authorities: Foundation, Mayoral, and Established Mayoral, outlining the varying degrees of powers, funding, and responsibilities associated with each. It also references the English Devolution White Paper's headline proposals concerning local government reorganisation, funding, audit and standards, members and workforce, public service reform, governance, capacity building, inclusive economic growth, employment and skills, housing, transport, high streets, culture, health, environment, and innovation.

The report recommends that the Council writes to the Secretary of State to express its belief that a Foundation Strategic Authority should be based on the wider South Midlands area, and agrees to submit an Expression of Interest, alongside West Northamptonshire Council, to create a Foundation Strategic Authority for Northamptonshire. Authority would be delegated to the Executive Director for Place & Economy, in consultation with the Executive Director for Finance & Performance and the Leader of the Council, to make the submission to Government. The Council would also welcome the opportunity to join with other authorities to create a larger Strategic Authority in the future.

Public Participation

The meeting agenda includes provisions for public participation. Members of the public who live or work in the North Northamptonshire council area can submit written questions two clear working days before the meeting, with a deadline of 9:00 am on Monday 16 March 2026. A period of 30 minutes is allocated for public questions at the Chair's discretion. Additionally, members of the public can make statements at the meeting in relation to reports on the agenda, provided a request to address the Council is received by the same deadline. Each speaker has a maximum of three minutes.

Councillor Questions

The agenda also allows for councillors to ask questions in accordance with meeting procedure rule 17.

The meeting is scheduled to be available for the public to view live on the Democratic Services' YouTube channel.