Shadow authorities set to meet for first time in early June

Two new Northamptonshire shadow authorities will hold their first meetings early next month as preparations progress to create the North and West Northamptonshire unitary councils on 1 April next year.

Members of the West Northamptonshire Shadow Authority will meet for the first time on Tuesday, 2 June at 7pm and the North Northamptonshire Shadow Authority will hold its first meeting on Thursday 4 June at 7pm.

The meetings will be held virtually via video-conferencing in the light of the ongoing coronavirus social distancing measures, with all members of the North and West Shadows – 152 and 132 Members – invited to take part.

The North Shadow Authority is made up of the existing Members of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough councils and County Councillors representing electoral divisions in these areas, with the West Shadow Authority comprising Members of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire councils and County Councillors covering these geographical areas.

At the two meetings, the shadow authorities will adopt their constitutions and appoint their interim statutory officers (interim Head of Paid Service, monitoring officer and chief finance officer).

The agenda for the West Northants Shadow Authority meeting is available to view at: https://cmis.northamptonshire.gov.uk/cmis5live/WestNorthamptonshireShadowAuthority.aspx

The North Northants Shadow Authority meeting agenda will be available to view from 27 May at: https://cmis.northamptonshire.gov.uk/cmis5live/NorthNorthamptonshireShadowAuthority.aspx

The first meetings of the Shadow Executives (executive committees) for each authority will convene next month. Further details and agendas will be available nearer the date.

The composition of the Shadow Executive is set out in legislation recently passed by government. Cllr Russell Roberts will be the Leader for the Shadow North Northamptonshire Authority with Cllr Martin Griffiths as Deputy Leader whilst Cllr Ian McCord will be the Leader for the Shadow West Northamptonshire Authority with Cllr Jonathan Nunn as Deputy Leader. The full executives for both authorities will be received at their first full meetings.

All Members of the Shadow Authorities and Shadow Executives will be clear that, when they are debating and making decisions in these bodies, they are representing the new Shadow Authorities and not any other Northamptonshire Council of which they remain a Member. It is important for the work of both the existing sovereign councils and the new shadows that there is this distinction of roles.