Northampton Borough Council | |
---|---|
Type | |
Type | |
Leadership | |
Leader
|
Jonathan Nunn, Conservative
Since 2016 |
Deputy Leader
|
Phil Larratt, 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 | |
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.