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Below is a map of the street lights that Boughton Parish Council are responsible for. Should anyone notice that a street light is not working, they can contact the Parish Clerk, Ciara Wanstall, and she will contact the contractor directly.
Should you have any questions about the street lights or anything else, the Parish Clerk can be contacted by email: clerk@boughtonparishcouncil.co.uk or telephone: 07918329763.
| Moulton Primary School has had to announce its closure for all pupils on Monday and Tuesday (11 and 12 September) for further tests due to the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).
Following survey work late last week, the roof of one of the school’s buildings was today confirmed to contain RAAC and more information is needed before plans can be formulated to tackle this. The building in question houses six classrooms, which means alternative arrangements will need to be made for around 180 children. Cllr David Smith, West Northamptonshire Council Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, said: “At this stage we are unable to outline how long it will take to remedy this situation, and we are liaising closely with the school to ensure this is done with as little disruption as possible. “Children’s safety is our primary concern, though we’re conscious that the short-term closure will cause inconvenience for parents. “The Department for Education will assign a case worker to help make interim plans so that children can all have the access to education they are entitled to. “I’d like to reassure everyone that all agencies are working together to resolve this as quickly as possible.” Until we have a clearer idea of what measures might be required to reinforce or replace this building’s roof, we are unable to anticipate the cost, though the Government has assured us that any costs required to correct this issue will be covered. School Acting Headteacher, Lauren Jones, said: “We are working closely with West Northamptonshire Council to understand the full implications of this and what we can do to provide contingency plans which limit the impact on our pupils’ education.” |
| From tomorrow (8 September), parents and carers of children living in West Northamptonshire can apply for a reception place in a primary or infant school, a year 3 place in a junior school, or a Year 7 place in a secondary school, for the September 2024 intake. |
| Parents and carers will be able to apply up until midnight on the closing dates for both Primary and Secondary applications.
Parents and carers can apply for a place in reception if their child will be four years old on or before 31 August 2024. The closing date for applications for places in reception (and year 3 at junior school) is 15 January 2024 at midnight. The closing date for applications for Year 7 places is 31 October 2023 at midnight. All applications, whether postal or online, must be received by the closing date to be considered as on time. Late applications will not be processed until after National Offer Days and will be processed in monthly rounds. All on-time applicants will receive an offer of a school place on National Offer Days – 1 March 2024 for secondary places and 16 April 2024 for reception/junior school places. Applicants will then be provided with information on the next stage of the process. There is a separate application process for children who have an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, details of which can be found on theSEND admissions page. Cllr Fiona Baker, WNC’s Cabinet member for children, families and education, said: “It is a big decision choosing the preferred school places for your child or children, whether it is for reception, year 3 or year 7 – all just as important but equally exciting for your child / children in the next step of their education journey. “If you are unsure of how the process works, or are not sure where to start please do look at the information available on our website.” An independent admission appeals process is available for families who wish to appeal against refusal of a place at any school for which they have applied. To find out more about applying for a school place in West Northamptonshire and to submit an application, visit: www.westnorthants.gov.uk/school-admissions |
| West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) has launched a new grants scheme which aims to create additional volunteering opportunities following funding from Central Government via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF).
Grants from £100 to £1,500 are available for Voluntary and Community Sector projects to address a local community need and support the Council’s vision to make West Northamptonshire a great place to live, work, visit and thrive. The funding is available for new or existing projects or services in West Northamptonshire which create additional volunteering opportunities. This can be for one-off events or an extended number of times such as weekly, monthly, or as and when required. Registered charities, voluntary or community groups, constitutionalised clubs, or not-for-profit organisations which operate within the geographical area of West Northamptonshire Council and meet the needs of local residents are invited to submit an expression of interest form. Cllr David Smith, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement, and Regulatory Services, said: “The Voluntary and Community Sector are often the unsung heroes who provide vital services to our communities and we’re delighted to be able to offer the opportunity to apply for this fund. “These grants will enable organisations to recruit new volunteers and continue their valuable work. So, if you fit the criteria, fill out an expression of interest form or get in touch with our Grants Team to find out more.” Further information and the full criteria for applications can be found on the WNC website and in the Council’s Community Funding Grants Framework. If you would like to speak to the Community Funding Grants Team about your project or your eligibility to apply for this grant, email: communitygrants@westnorthants.gov.uk including your contact telephone number, as a telephone conversation can sometimes clarify a question more efficiently. |
| Fly-tipping and environmental crime has a significant negative impact on our streets and countryside. West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) is committed to reducing fly-tipping through the fly-tipping charter, which is backed by a robust enforcement policy to discourage and prosecute offenders.
The Charter includes a detailed plan of action, demonstrating the steps that are being taken to tackle the issue, including targeted patrols, the use of CCTV, and working with residents, businesses, and town and parish councils to avoid fly-tipping and gather intelligence to prosecute. Through the cleaner communities campaign, WNC seeks to highlight the negative impact of environmental crime, and demonstrate the work of officers to tackle this and remove fly-tipping on the land where we have a responsibility to do so. Through investigation and working with the public to share information WNC will hold people to account and prosecute offenders. It also sets out how the Council will communicate with businesses, landlords and householders to ensure they are clear on their responsibilities towards managing their waste responsibly. Councillor David Smith, Cabinet Member for Regulatory Services, Community Safety and Engagement on West Northamptonshire Council, said: “Fly-tipping and other environmental crimes are unacceptable and impact every one of us in our communities. They spoil our streets, parks and open spaces, create an environmental hazard, and the clean-up costs and work involved to remove waste place a significant financial burden both on our council and on private landowners. “The latest figures published by Government relating to our first year as a new unitary council demonstrate the vast scale of illegal waste which is carelessly fly tipped across our area. Through the hard work of our environmental crime team, we have made a head start in tackling fly-tipping in West Northamptonshire and creating a cleaner community for everyone. Cllr Phil Larratt, Cabinet Member for Environment, Transport, Highways and Waste, added: “Fly-tipping and environmental crime is unsightly and none of us want to see this in our local area. As a council we want to work with communities and our partners to educate people about the detrimental effect of fly-tipping, as well as ensure we are targeting our resources effectively in order to catch and punish offenders. By working together, we can reduce waste on our streets and create cleaner communities.” People can view the Fly-tipping Charter at www.westnorthants.gov.uk/street-cleansing/fly-tipping-and-duty-care-charter People can report fly-tipping and environmental crime by visiting: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/street-cleansing/report-fly-tipping |
West Northamptonshire Council is pushing ahead with a plan to harness renewable and wasted heat to tackle fuel poverty and make the Northampton area a more sustainable place.
It has announced work on a Sustainable Heat Network Feasibility Study to explore the possibility of a district heating system that can deliver lower-cost, low-carbon heat to homes and businesses.
District heating collects warmth from a variety of sources and uses a distribution system of insulated pipes to carry it from a central source to multiple buildings.
This can significantly reduce heating costs and carbon emissions compared with traditional heating solutions which use electricity or burn fossil and other fuels.
Council Leader, Cllr Jonathan Nunn, said: “This Sustainable Heat Network Feasibility Study represents a significant step towards our ambitious goal of becoming a net zero area by 2045 while supporting our residents and businesses.
“By exploring sustainable heat solutions, we can tackle the impacts of fuel poverty, reduce carbon emissions, and foster economic resilience within our community.”
To bring this vision to life, West Northamptonshire Council has secured £112k from round 12 of the Government’s Heat Network Delivery Unit (HNDU) funding.
The project will also be match-funded by contributions of £20k from Northamptonshire Partnership Homes and £40k from the council’s Public Health team.
The project, built on work originally launched by Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS, now Department for Energy Security & Net Zero) in 2019, will now focus on the Northampton and Rothersthorpe Village area.
Its aims are to:
Sustainable engineering firm, Ramboll, will work on the project with infrastructure consultancy, AECOM, following a competitive bidding process.
Evagelos Korais, Associate at Ramboll, said: “Heat accounts for approximately 50 per cent of the UK’s energy demand, making projects to decarbonise heating critical to meeting net zero targets.
“Ramboll has significant experience in planning and implementing heat networks to efficiently recover waste heat to provide clean, green, safe, and reliable heating and hot water to local properties.
“We are looking forward to identifying the best opportunities for West Northamptonshire Council to realise their low-cost, low-carbon heating ambitions for the economic and social benefit of its residents.”
Rodrigo Matabuena, Project Manager at AECOM, said: “Heat networks have a huge potential to reduce carbon emissions and cut costs for consumers.
“We’re pleased to be working with Ramboll to support West Northampton Council’s decarbonisation agenda and accelerate its transition to net zero.”
Upon completion, the feasibility study will provide critical data on sustainable heat sources, technical and financial costs, and potential funding opportunities.
The council aims to apply for funding from HNDU round 13 to cover the detailed project development phase based on the study’s findings.
DUTIES INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
The Council initially offers this post at approx 4 hours per week (hours to be discussed) with an hourly rate of £12 per hour. If you’re interested in applying for the position, please contact the Clerk – Shirley Wong on 07918 32976 or email clerk@boughtonparishcouncil.co.uk
West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) are seeking residents’ views on renewing a Public Spaces Protection Order (PSPO) in Northampton to help tackle nuisance and problem behaviour.
The current PSPO covering the Northampton Town area was introduced in 2020 in response to issues of anti-social behaviour which included drug use, street drinking and urinating in public places.
A PSPO is a power that allows councils to impose restrictions on a defined area to tackle problem behaviour under the Anti-Social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014.
It can deal with persistent and unreasonable nuisances and anti-social behaviour that has a negative effect on the quality of life for the local community in a particular area and intends to help ensure that members of the public and local communities can use and enjoy open areas and public spaces.
There is a legal requirement for the Council to have evidence to show the need for orders to be adopted, varied, or extended, therefore this consultation will be used to gather residents’ views on extending the PSPO for a further 3 years, up to September 2026.
The current Order prohibits:
• The use of intoxicating substances, including illegal or psychoactive substances
• Having an item in possession to use/take an intoxicating substance, this includes needles and smoking devices that are not e-cigarettes
• Consumption of alcohol in unauthorised or unlicensed open areas, for example on streets
• Urinating or defecating in public places, unless a toilet has been provided for that purpose
• Spitting
• Riding a bike or scooter when requested not to do so by the Police or a Council authorised person
• Busking when requested not to do so by the Police or a Council authorised person
• Failure to comply with the Order is subject to a fine.
The current Order also has provision for the control of dogs, however this has been removed from this renewal and is now covered under a separate Order. A full version of the updated PSPO can be viewed on the West Northamptonshire Council website.
Cllr David Smith, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Engagement and Regulatory Services, said: “We welcome the views of all local people and businesses and I hope everyone who cares about Northampton will take the opportunity to give us their feedback as part of this consultation.
“Creating safer communities with less anti-social behaviour is one of the Council’s top priorities and we hope that by renewing this Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) we can help deter nuisance behaviour and make Northampton a safer and more pleasant place to live, work, and visit for everyone.”
The consultation opens today (2 August) and closes at midnight on Tuesday 12 September 2023. Anyone who would like to share their views about extending the Northampton Town PSPO can take part in the online survey via the Council’s Consultation Hub.