Stephanie Gibrat

The Planning Policy Committee of West Northamptonshire Council adopted the West Northamptonshire Infrastructure and Developer Contributions Supplementary Planning Document on 17 June 2026. This decision approved recommendations to adopt the new document, which replaces three existing supplementary planning documents. The committee also delegated authority to the Head of Planning Policy and Specialist Services for minor editorial changes and agreed to update contribution SP1 to amend the maintenance cost period from 25 to 10 years.

The Planning Policy Committee of West Northamptonshire Council adopted the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits Special Protection Area Guidance and Mitigation Strategy on 17 June 2026. The committee also revoked two previous Supplementary Planning Documents related to the same area. The adopted guidance includes a Strategic Access Management and Monitoring (SAMM) contribution of £371.17 per dwelling plus an administration fee of £85 per application for new dwellings within 5.9km of the SPA.

The Planning Policy Committee of West Northamptonshire Council decided on 17 June 2026 to note progress on the local plan and agreed that the council cannot currently meet the evidenced need for Gypsy, Traveller, and Travelling Showpeople sites. The committee will raise this unmet need as a strategic cross-boundary matter with neighbouring councils.

The Cabinet of West Northamptonshire Council approved the adoption and implementation of the proposed Housing Allocation Policy on 05/05/2026. The decision maker delegated authority to the Corporate Director for Housing and Communities to make necessary minor amendments to ensure ongoing compliance. The approved policy includes changes to succession of tenancy, local connection requirements, employment eligibility, income levels, and the introduction of auto-bidding for certain applicant bands.

The Cabinet of West Northamptonshire Council decided on 05/05/2026 to bring waste collection and street cleansing services in-house from June 2028. They also approved the procurement of necessary supporting contracts and changed residual waste collection frequency to every three weeks for certain properties by Spring 2027. Authority was delegated to the Executive Director for Place, Economy and Environment to finalise specifications, make decisions on bringing services in-house, and progress procurement processes.