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Local government in Northampton

Northampton Borough Council
Coat of arms or logo
Type
Type
Leadership
Leader
Mary Markham, Conservative
Since 2015
Deputy Leader
Jonathan Nunn, Conservative
Since 2016
Mayor
Christopher Malpas, Conservative
Since 2016
Deputy Mayor
Gareth Eales, Labour
Since 2016
Structure
Seats 45
Political groups
     Conservative Party (25)
     Labour Party (17)
     Liberal Democrats (3)
Elections
First-past-the-post
Last election
7 May 2015
Meeting place
thumb
The Guildhall, St. Giles Square, Northampton
Website
www.northampton.gov.uk

Northampton Borough Council is the borough council and non-metropolitan district responsible for local government in the large town of Northampton in England. The leader and cabinet model of decision-making has been adopted by the council. It consists of 45 councillors, representing 33 wards in the town, overseen by a mayor, leader and cabinet. It is currently controlled by the Conservative Party and has been led by Mary Markham since her election on 7 May 2015. The main council building is Northampton Guildhall.

Northampton was granted its first town charter in 1189 by King Richard I and was permitted the appointment of a mayor in 1215 by King John. Northampton first existed as an ancient borough in medieval Britain before being one of the 178 boroughs to be reformed under the Municipal Corporations Act in 1835. Under the Local Government Act, it was then recognised as a county borough of 6 wards from 1898, 9 wards from 1900 and 12 wards from 1911. Northampton was granted modern borough status in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 as Northampton Borough Council, a non-metropolitan district council under Northamptonshire County Council.

Northampton is now the most populous urban district in England not to be administered as a unitary authority, a status it failed to obtain in the 1990s local government reform. During the Local Government Commission for England (1992), Northampton was rejected from becoming a unitary authority because it was decided that "the separation of Northampton from its county would have a significant and detrimental effect." The government announced its acceptance of these recommendations in March 1996. In 2000, Northampton applied unsuccessfully for city status, held to celebrate the new millennium.


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Wikipedia

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