We asked, you said, we did

We sought feedback on schools term dates for the 2026-27 academic year.

We received 4 responses with some alternative suggestions.

The terms dates for 2026-27 academic year will proceed as suggested and can be found on the NNC website School term dates page.

We sought feedback on the arrangements for school admissions for September 2026.

No comments were received on the proposed arrangements.

The school admission arrangements for September 2026 will proceed as suggested. You can find more information on the NNC website school admission pages.

We sought your views on the draft Adult Social Care Strategy 2024-29. The Care Act 2014 sets out the statutory duties for Local Authorities and has a focus on wellbeing, enablement, partnership working and outcomes. It has been key to our approach in developing the North Northamptonshire draft Adult Social Care Strategy 2024-2029. The draft Strategy supports people aged 18 and over as well as young people from the age of 14 moving into adulthood.

There were 40 responses. Consultation responses received were broadly supportive of the strategy with no changes made as a result.

The strategy was adopted by Executive at their meeting held on 13 February 2025. The strategy now moves to implementation phase and forms a key part of preparations for the assurance of the Council’s delivery of Care Act 2014 duties that would be undertaken by the Care Quality Commission.

As part of aligning the wider customer experience offer, we are working towards customers being able to interact with any of our customer facing offices, in a harmonised way. The ways in which we process payments should be consistent, efficient and effective across all areas. 

The closure of the Corby Cube cash office facility during the recent pandemic, resulted in a behaviour change, with many customers using alternative payment methods. The Corby Cube is also the only council venue that hosts a cash office.

We are proposing to remove the ability to pay by cash at The Corby Cube. However, customers will still be able to use this method of payment in several establishments, who are open more regularly than the Corby cash office (which is only open 3 days per week; 09:00am to 2:00pm)

• There were 36 respondents, (of which 29 were residents, 5 staff members and 2 Councillors).
• Of those surveyed, 7 (19%), disagreed that the options to make a payment to the Council should be the same across all of North Northamptonshire.
• Of those surveyed, 14 (39%), usually make cash payments at the Corby Cube cash office.
• The ability to make a payment by cash was discussed as being a preferred option for the following reasons: 
• • Ease of use (i.e. how income is either paid or drawn down; convenience of visit to the town centre).
  • Struggle with online payments.
  • Personal choice.
• Whilst considering the payment methods available, it was highlighted that card payments are not facilitated in the library.
• There was strong feedback on not losing the ability to make a payment by cash.
• Of those who usually make cash payments at the Corby Cube cash office, 9 (64%), would use a Post Office to make a cash payment, and 6 (43%), would use a Paypoint / Payzone outlet.
• The uptake of the survey was low, with an estimated 1.4% of service users taking part.

Following consideration of all the feedback received and the Bank of England report of 2021 Update on the future of Wholesale Cash Distribution in the UK, the decision has been made to adopt the consultation proposal for harmonising payment options and removal of paying by cash at the Corby Cube cash office.

Next steps:

• To review card payments in libraries and how this can be implemented for library shop and printer purchases.
• Customers will be proactively engaged from week commencing 13 January 2025. The last operating day of the Corby cash office will be Monday 31 March 2025, allowing time to support customers through annual billing and any rent increase letters.
• We will have an additional member of staff on reception from 13 January to 31 March, during the cash office operating hours.
• The new annual billing letters will all have barcodes on the letters and information on how the barcodes can be used to make payments and where payments can be made.
• We will also be updating our website contact us page with a list of services available at our customer service hubs, including making a payment. This will evolve as we go through the office rationalisation project and incorporate actions from our recent audit on the service offer. 

Following public consultation in August 2024 regarding proposed changes to car parking charges at Corby Rail Station, a final consultation was undertaken.

There were 56 responses, the majority of which opposed the proposed changes.

Following consideration of all responses some changes were made, such as off peak charges and additional bays created within the car park to reduce on street local pressure.

On 7 November 2024, notice was given under Section 35C of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 that North Northamptonshire Council has approved the following variations to the charges payable in respect of vehicles using the whole of the car park, the charges are listed below and take effect from 2 December 2024:

CORBY RAILWAY STATION CAR PARK VARIED CHARGES

Off peak tariffs

Any enquiries please contact Traffic Enforcement Team (trafficenforcement@northnorthants.gov.uk)

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) conducted a statutory review of all polling districts and polling places that are used across North Northamptonshire. The aim of the polling district and place review was to reflect the changes made to the electoral arrangements for North Northamptonshire and to ensure that as far as reasonable and practicable the facilities for voting meet the needs of local people.

A total of 113 responses were received via the dedicated Engagement Hub. The detailed responses are available at https://www.northnorthants.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/polling-district-and-polling-place-review

In general most responses were positive, however, a small number of concerns were raised around the situation and accessibility of a few of the polling stations used at previous elections.

A brief summary of the feedback we received together with our responses was presented to the meeting of Democracy and Standards Committee on 21 November 2024. In response to the feedback we received, we reviewed and changed some of our polling places.  An updated list of polling places and the areas they serve is available here.

The consultation also highlighted a small number of other concerns which related to information for voters, directions to polling places, and in some cases the parking arrangements.

We have therefore committed to keeping voting arrangements under review, particularly in relation to accessibility and staff training with a view to addressing the concerns raised as part of this consultation process and ensuring the facilities adequately meet the needs of voters.

We wanted to understand your attitudes and behaviours to our six main areas of focus on climate change to inform our draft Climate Change Strategy.

See below.

Your comments influenced and helped to shape the draft Climate Change Strategy. Please see the follow up of Climate Change Framework - Have Your Say for full details.

The Council launched the draft Climate Change Framework on 16th September 2024 for public consultation, which ran until 20th October 2024. The Framework set out the foundation for tackling the causes and consequences of climate change locally and our six key areas of focus to help enable net zero by 2050. Recognising that collective action is essential to achieving the vision and outlined goals within the draft strategy we were keen to understand the views of residents, businesses, and organisations across the area regarding issues related to climate change and sustainability. The public consultation was conducted by the Council’s Consultation and Engagement Team. The structure and design of the consultation was set out over two surveys:
• Climate change attitudes and behaviours. Seeking thoughts on climate change, our six main areas of focus, and your suggestions for actions the Council should take to mitigate climate change risks in North Northamptonshire.
• Consultation on the Council’s Draft Climate Change Framework. Seeking thoughts on the draft Framework, which outlined our vision, approach, and key areas of focus to address the effects of climate change over the next six-years.

In total, 358 respondents filled out the questionnaires (94 for the Framework and 264 for the Attitudes and Behaviours survey), either partially or fully. The Consultation Report will be appended to a governance report that is scheduled to go before the Place & Environment Scrutiny Committee in January, and publicly available. The Consultation Report provides a full accounting of survey results.

The results from the public consultation and stakeholder interviews have been used to inform the draft North Northamptonshire Climate Change Strategy (CCS) 2024-2030. The Strategy is appended to the Place & Environment Scrutiny Committee report, which is available in the public issued papers, at item 6.

We are required in law to publish a written Statement of Licensing Principles (usually referred to as the Gambling Licensing Policy), setting out how we intend to exercise the licensing and enforcement powers, to come into effect January 2025.

NNC residents and stakeholders were given the opportunity to share any comments on the draft statement, for consideration.

6 responses were received.  None of the responses opposed the proposed Statement of Licensing Principles or proposed any changes. 1 response expressed satisfaction with the proposed Statement.

The Council adopted the Statement of Licensing Principles 2025-2028 on 5 December 2024.  At the same time, the Council decided not to make a ‘no casino’ resolution.

The adopted Statement of Principles 2025-2028 has been published on the Council’s website and will have effect from 31 January 2025 - Gambling Act 2005 – Statement of Licensing Principles 2025 to 2028 | North Northamptonshire Council (northnorthants.gov.uk).

North Northamptonshire Council received an application from Kettering Town Council for the designation of a neighbourhood area. Under Regulation 6 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, NNC is required to publicise the application and offer an opportunity for locals to comment.

We did not receive any representations for this consultation.

In accordance with Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012, the area of Kettering Central Neighbourhood was duly designated. A decision statement was published and the relevant Town Council was formally notification that they could undertake the preparation of a neighbourhood plan for the area. You can view the decision statement.

 

In readiness for North Northamptonshire Council commissioning their own Healthwatch from 1 April 2025 we sought the views of residents and stakeholders on current services to help shape a more local service.

We received 192 responses which highlighted a lack of visibility and knowledge of the Healthwatch service to North Northamptonshire’s residents.
 

We will include appropriate questions into the tender process for any potential future supplier to demonstrate how they will make Healthwatch visible to residents and improve uptake to the service.

 

We sought the views of residents and stakeholders on the review of our Burial Reservation Policy which included alignment of several policies and review of charges.

In summary, for the online survey, 35 responses were received from members of the public. The following is summarised from the consultation

• 17 (48.5%) of respondents agreed with the principle of a policy, 5 (14%) disagreed and 13 (37%) either didn’t know or answer  

• In answer to the question should a burial reservation fee be extended across the authority, 15 (43%) of respondents agreed, 3 (8.5%) disagreed and 17 (48.5%) either didn’t know or answer. 

• 14 (40%) of respondents agreed, 7 (20%) disagreed and 14 (40%) either didn’t know or answer to the question that there should be a choice of timescales and therefore fees for the reservation of a burial plot. 

• When asked if the current fee charged at some of NNC cemeteries was fair, 14 (40%) of respondents agreed, 9 (25.5%) disagreed and 12 (34%) either didn’t know or answer  

• 21 (60%) of respondents agreed, 0  disagreed and 14 (40%) either didn’t know or answer that NNC residents should have priority for reservations in their nearest cemetery. 

• 23 (66%) of respondents agreed, 0 disagreed and 12 (34.%) either didn’t know or answer that families should be able to return reserved plots if they were no longer needed. 

• In answer to the query if the side-by-side solution should be used where double depth graves, 16 (54%) of respondents agreed, 0 disagreed and 17 (46%) either didn’t know or answer. 

In the commentary sections, 42 comments were made. The biggest concern overall was the potential effects the cost of the fee for the reservation policy may have on especially the older and/or poorer members of our communities. There was apprehension and concern regarding the payment of an additional fee for the reservation of a burial plot (note: reserving plot is optional) and the impact this may have on both the wellbeing and welfare of someone from a poorer household. The issues raised were that older residents may have worked hard all their lives and then be faced with a considerable additional fee to reserve their chosen burial plot.  

In addition to the public consultation, the Place and Economy Scrutiny Committee reviewed the proposed policy on the 27 August 2024. The comments and feedback of the Committee formed part of the public consultation.  

Scrutiny Committee feedback reflected the concerns of the public regarding the payment and proposed level of the fee. As a result, we are working on offering a payment plan to residents who wish to reserve a plot ahead of a burial. We are also taking care to explain to residents enquiring about the reservation fee, that there is no need to reserve a burial plot and have to pay the fee, if a specific plot is not required, and explain the choices for burying members of the same family near each other.  

The suggestions of offering a variety of time periods for the reservation of a burial plot or reducing the period of 99 years to increase accessibility to reserved burial plots are more complex, and separation of the Exclusive Right Of Burial and reservation timescales would raise future issues of proving a plot is reserved at the time of burial and cause unwarranted distress to the family at a most vulnerable time, so these have not been implemented at this time.

However, the team will explore the contacting of deedholders for reserved plots and establishing if they are still required. 

The combined result of an affordable payment plan with the option of handing back a reserved burial plot, seeks to reassure residents of North Northamptonshire concerns around costs of burial, and all residents are encouraged to discuss their questions to either a chosen funeral Director or directly with the Bereavement Services Team at Warren Hill Crematorium office.  

Corby Town Council has a PSPO order, which is due to expire, and a public opinion was required whether to extend it for a further 3 years. Hard copies were posted by hand in the vicinity, emails to partner organisations and NNC online survey.

31 responses were received via online and hard copies feedback from businesses and the public in Corby Town areas, as well as partners including the police etc.  100% responses were positive towards the extension of the PSPO.
 

Due to the 100% positive feedback from the 31 responders, it was agreed to extend the PSPO for a further 3 years.

We sought your views on proposed changes to public health services for children, young people, families, and sexual health in North Northamptonshire. The consultation focused on improving service accessibility, increasing targeted support, and enhancing digital and community-based options to ensure services meet the needs of our local communities.

154 residents participated in the online consultation.

Feedback highlighted strong support for targeted services for vulnerable parents and parents-to-be, with particular emphasis on mental health support, home visits, and assistance with parenting education. Respondents stressed the need for culturally sensitive healthy weight programmes that integrate physical and mental health support while addressing affordability and access barriers.

There was strong support for introducing dedicated services for children (0–11 years) and young people (11–19 years), with over 75% of respondents rating this as either "very important" or "somewhat important." Many recognised that age-specific services would better address the distinct needs of children and young people.

Emotional health and wellbeing support for young people emerged as a key priority, with calls for better accessibility, face-to-face support, and options such as peer groups and family therapy.

For sexual health services, respondents highlighted the importance of improving access through local venues, including GP surgeries, pharmacies, schools, and community centres. Digital options for STI testing and contraceptive services were welcomed by some, but a blended approach combining digital and in-person services was preferred. There was also a clear call for targeted awareness campaigns to reduce stigma and improve knowledge of services like emergency contraception and Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP).

Your feedback directly shaped the new service models. For children, young people, and families, there will be a stronger focus on early intervention, targeted services for vulnerable parents, and a dedicated 11–19 service model. Emotional health and wellbeing support has been enhanced, and digital access will be improved through a dedicated Digital Front Door, offering families a user-friendly online platform for information, advice, and guidance. In addition, Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in schools will be strengthened to ensure young people receive inclusive, age-appropriate teaching, equipping them with the knowledge and confidence to make informed choices.

For sexual health services, access will be expanded through a network of local services delivered at convenient venues, including GP surgeries, pharmacies, and community centres, supported by centralised sexual health clinics to ensure consistent, high-quality care. Digital self-testing kits for STIs will continue to be available, with strengthened follow-up support to ensure seamless access to treatment and advice. Access to emergency contraception and PrEP will be improved, and awareness campaigns will aim to reduce stigma and improve understanding of services, with tailored approaches to ensure key messages reach specific communities, such as LGBTQ+ groups and rural residents.

Your contributions have played a crucial role in shaping these services, and ongoing engagement will ensure they continue to meet the needs of our communities.

The council proposed an increase to pay and display car parking tariffs at Corby Train Station Car Park. Following a legal process to change the Traffic Regulation Order, a decision to have a public consultation was taken. The public consultation was conducted from 11th July to 2nd August 2024, focusing on proposed increases to car parking tariffs at Corby Train Station.

A total of 90 responses were received via email.

• 2 respondents agreed with the proposed increases
• 87 respondents objected to the proposed increases
• 1 respondent did not express a view

In those responses:

• 4 respondents requested a public meeting to discuss the changes
• 4 respondents suggested that all North Northamptonshire Council car parks should have tariffs aligned with the current rate at Corby Train Station
• 2 respondents provided no specific input

Tariff Proposals:
47 respondents indicated that the proposed increases were excessive
16 respondents suggested a stepped or gradual increase as a more acceptable approach

Impact on Local Parking:
36 respondents expressed concerns that the tariff increase would encourage on-street parking in nearby residential areas.

Off peak tariffs:
Implement off peak tariff options in line with other local providers.

The proposed charging structure is supported by the current offer from comparable stations located along the line, predominantly Kettering, Wellingborough and Market Harborough at the lowest end of the scale.

Proposed daily tariffs:

The introduction of an off-peak rate featured heavily within the consultation feedback, inclusion of this is supported and should be offered as a simplistic model to aid users and avoid confusion where possible and consistent with other local offers.

The proposed rates will are:

• Monday – Friday 10:00 – 02:30 : £5.00
• Saturday – Sunday Anytime : £5.00
• Bank holidays : £5.00

Making the section of the entrance/ exit one way, creating additional spaces along the left hand side of the car park as you drive in, approximately 14 new spaces are proposed. This will help reduce any local burden.

Further consultation is proposed for 10 October to 23.59 on 3 November 2024 via the Your Voice Matters consultation hub.
 

All representations will be considered by the Assistant Director of Assets and Environment, after 3 November 2024. The future level of charge will remain within the discretion of the Council. A formal notice of any change made to parking charges under the Order will then be issued. Any change to the parking charges will come into effect on Monday 2 December 2024. Any changes to the entrance/exit and the additional parking spaces will be scheduled into our future work plans and will commence as soon as practically possible.  

The survey intended to obtain the views of local residents, families/carers and professionals in relation to accommodation and support services for individuals with Mental Health Needs and those who are Autistic.

Those individuals who responded, who have care and support within an accommodation-based setting confirmed that the service in the main meets their needs.

For some services support was available throughout the week Monday to Sunday, for others this was Monday to Friday. Availability of support during the day was varied, ranging from 24-hour support to support only being available during parts of the day. Of those who responded the majority of people received more than 4 hours of individual support each day.

People felt having your own front door; the willingness of the landlord to make reasonable adjustments; repairs to property being completed quickly were all highly important to being happy in their home. Being able to have a pet or having friends to stay over was equally important as well as having outdoor space, being close to public transportation links and local shops.

When asked what you need from your staff team, the key responses included understanding and supporting me with my needs; helping me to develop my skills and confidence so I can live independently; supporting me with my emotional and mental wellbeing; supporting me at times of crisis; helping me to feel safe.

A small number of family members/unpaid carers responded to the survey. There were varied views across each of the questions with some very strong agreement and for other respondents very strong disagreement. The key highlights from the responses were that staff teams supported individuals to keep healthy, attend GP and other routine appointments and stay connected to their families. Not all individuals had a tenancy or licence agreement in place, landlords did not always respond to repairs as promptly as they should, and the support team in some cases did not support people to have an active day.

For the professionals only 42% who responded felt that they were very confident that providers have the right skills and training to effectively support individuals to live a good life.

The information from this survey provides valuable feedback for recommissioning accommodation-based support services. Information will be incorporated into the specification for individual need and support, housing and accommodation requirements and provider expectations.

We sought to understand your awareness and experiences of local weight management services, and the type of adult weight management support you would like to access in order to inform Public Health of local preferences to those services.

307 responses were received.

The participant sample was characterised as being predominantly white British women, with the largest age group being 50-64 years old. Most of the participants did not have any dietary preferences. Most of the respondents were aware of the council commissioned service Slimming World and many had accessed Slimming World for weight management support.

Our analysis found that the main barriers to accessing a service to support with managing weight were cost, time, motivation, confidence, and fear of failure. Of the services that respondents had accessed, the features that were perceived to be most beneficial were location, time of sessions, ongoing support, course leader, goal tracking e.g., weigh-ins and course content – nutrition.  

When asked what type of support people would like from a weight management service, nearly half of the respondents said they would like group sessions in person, and a quarter of respondents said one to one support in person. Online/video calls and self-led online service were least favourable.

All feedback will help and support Public Health when reviewing and commissioning future support services.

NNC sought views to help guide our decisions regarding the continued provision of an Appointeeship service for customers who lack capacity to manage their money and other financial affairs.

21 responses were received. The responders who chose to say in what capacity they were answering were categorised as NNC resident, Citizen, Local resident, Old age pensioner (OAP), Town Councillor, Tax Payer, Previous Care Manager, Member of the public, Citizens Pace consultee and NNC worker.

Most of the responders gave a top rating of 5 for the importance of the Appointeeship service and strongly agreed with the fee increase if it was deemed necessary for its continued provision. There was only one person who neither agreed nor disagreed, and one that strongly disagreed. Similarly, there was overall positive feedback regarding the new Set-up and Wind-up fees with the majority either strongly agreeing or agreeing, just one neither agreeing or disagreeing and one strongly disagreeing with the new charges. 6 responders who answered the question regarding using external appointee providers said no. There was only one response provided for ‘any other comment’ with the responder stating that the Council was bankrupt, and the service should be withdrawn.

A report seeking approval for a change to the charging policy for the Appointeeship service was approved by the service Senior Leadership Team. An Equality Screening Assessment was completed, which showed the proposal would have no adverse impact on protected groups. The results of the consultation were included in the final proposal which was approved at a meeting of the Executive on 11 July 2024.

Residents, organisations and business were invited to give their view on the proposed routes identified for the Wellingborough & Rushden Area Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) which was created in collaboration with Pell Frischmann and Brightwayz.

The LCWIP provides a strategic approach to identifying cycling and walking improvements at a local level and enable the long-term approach to developing networks.

This LCWIP had a range of engagement and consultation with stakeholders and the public throughout the development of the plan. This engagement included a series of workshops with key stakeholders and residents that were held during the development of the LCWIP.

Participants at the most recent public consultation were able to comment on:

• The overall network of proposals
• Proposed routes and individual proposals

The online public consultation was promoted to stakeholders/residents who had already been involved in the development of the LCWIP as well as to the wider population through various media. In addition, various events were attended to raise the profile of the consultation and to help those wanting to comment upon the proposals.

There were 157 responses in total, with 2069 visits to the website location of the survey. The overall results of the consultation showed that:

• 63% strongly agree or agree with the proposals
• 15% strongly disagree or disagree with the proposals
• 22% were neutral/no view contributions

Detailed analysis of the responses showed that there was a disproportionately high level of disagreement with the Irthlingborough proposals (32% of responses to those proposals).

Analysis of the comments for Irthlingborough identified that the high level of disagreement was due to proposals for amending an existing car parking alignment

Each of the responses and comments have been analysed and considered. A Consultation Report that summarises the findings of this analysis is being prepared and will be reported to NNC members (along with a report on the overall engagement for the overall LCWIP process) when approval of the Wellingborough & Rushden Area LCWIP proposals will be sought.

In total, 19 of the 29 proposals drawings have been amended to reflect received comments from this consultation. Many of these changes were suggestions to improve upon the previously identified proposals. However, there were also changes made to reflect comments regarding individual proposals. The most significant of these changes was the removal of proposals to amend the existing car parking alignment in Irthlingborough to widen the footway and discourage overhanging parked vehicles.

We directed respondents to share their feedback on the content of a Draft Masterplan consultation prepared by the promoters for Kettering Energy Park, and to encourage comments on the content.

Any decision on the Final Masterplan will be made in considering a planning application for the scheme proposal, once submitted to the Council. An application is anticipated for submission before the end of 2024.