The first meeting of a new planning committee to look at future growth in the region is being held next week.
The West Northamptonshire Joint Committee has been set up to tackle issues like affordable housing and transport in Northampton, Daventry and South Northamptonshire.
The new committee is made up of 12 councillors from Northampton Borough Council, Daventry District Council, South Northamptonshire Council and Northamptonshire County Council, who have all been nominated by their respective authority.
It will also tackle other issues like business development, energy use, and sport and leisure, both for existing and new communities.
There will be particular focus on boosting the town centres of Northampton, Daventry and Towcester.
The Joint Committee will also set the framework up to 2026 for the Government’s Growth Agenda as it applies to this part of Northamptonshire and the wider Milton Keynes South Midlands sub-region.
However its role will be limited to strategic plan making and will not be responsible for determining planning applications.
MP Phil Hope, the East Midlands Regional Minister, said: “This is a very welcome step in driving forward efficiency, innovative and strategic partnership working.
“I know that there has been a lot of hard work by both officers and particularly elected members to agree on the remit and operation of the committee and I wish the new committee every success working together effectively in the future.
“I am delighted that it complements the North Northamptonshire committee and that Northamptonshire clearly leads the country in this level of collaboration.”
The inaugural meeting of the committee will be held on Tuesday, October 21, at 6pm at Northampton Borough Council.
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