Plans by two district councils to provide more of their services jointly to residents have taken a major step forward.
Daventry District Council and South Northamptonshire Council have agreed to sign a ‘Memorandum of Intent’, which lays the foundations for closer partnership working.
The Memorandum, although not legally binding, formally sets out both councils’ intentions to look at sharing areas of work where it will provide a better service to residents and, in some cases, save money.
The councils are now ‘preferred partners’, meaning that each will first consider working with the other before any other organisation or council. They already share payroll services and work jointly on community safety.
Services currently being considered for shared working are Building Control and Elections. A Joint Working Group, made up of councillors and council officers, is being set up to explore this along with other services.
Councillor Sandra Barnes, Leader of South Northamptonshire Council, said: “This is a positive step forward for both of our councils and shows our commitment to working together on the shared services agenda.
“As the Memorandum clearly states, it is in the interest of the public that we consider opportunities to work more closely together.”
Councillor Chris Millar, Leader of Daventry District Council, said: “Partnership working between our two councils makes sense, not just because we share a natural affinity as neighbouring districts with a similar demography; we are both smaller councils and as such face similar challenges and opportunities.
“We have to look at these options to ensure we give best value to taxpayers.”
The memorandum of Intent was agreed by Daventry District Council on Thursday (February 28) and South Northamptonshire Council on Friday (February 29).
Daventry and South Northamptonshire are the largest districts in Northamptonshire, covering together 55% of the county’s area. This rural bias, coupled with town centre regeneration in Daventry and Towcester as part of the government’s Milton Keynes/South Midlands growth agenda, mean that there is a shared desire for exploiting joint opportunities.
Later this month South Northamptonshire Council will transfer its housing stock over to a new housing association; Daventry District Council made a similar move in November last year, transferring its homes to Daventry & District Housing.
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