# West Northamptonshire Council

West Northamptonshire Council is the local authority for West Northamptonshire, a local government district in the ceremonial county of Northamptonshire, England. It is a unitary authority, being a district council which also performs the functions of a county council. The whole area is also covered by civil parishes, which form a second tier of local government.

## Political control

Since its creation in 2021, the Conservatives have held a majority of the seats on the council:
| Party in control | Party in control | Years |
| | Conservative | 2021–present |

## Leadership

The leader of the council from its first meeting following its creation in 2021 was Jonathan Nunn, who was the last leader of the old Northampton Borough Council. Ian McCord, outgoing Conservative leader of the old South Northamptonshire District Council, had served as leader of the shadow authority set up to oversee the transition to the new arrangements.
| Councillor | Party | Party | From | To |
| Jonathan Nunn | | Conservative | 20 May 2021 | 18 April 2024 |
| Adam Brown | | Conservative | 16 May 2024 | |

## Composition

Following the 2021 election and subsequent changes up to December 2024, the composition of the council was:
| Party | Party | Councillors |
| | Conservative | 59 |
| | Labour | 20 |
| | Liberal Democrats | 6 |
| | Independent | 7 |
| Total | Total | 92 |
Three of the seven independents sit together as the 'Independent Group'. The next election is due in 2025.

## Elections

Elections for a shadow authority were due to be held on Thursday 7 May 2020 but were postponed until 6 May 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. New ward boundaries have been drawn up to take effect from the 2025 elections, which will reduce the number of councillors from 93 to 76, to be elected from 35 wards each electing one, two or three councillors. From 2025 elections will be held every four years.

## Premises

Council meetings are generally held at Northampton Guildhall, with the nearby former Northamptonshire County Council offices at One Angel Square serving as the council's headquarters. The council also inherited offices at The Forum in Towcester from South Northamptonshire District Council and Lodge Road in Daventry from Daventry District Council. The Forum continues to be used as additional offices and for some council meetings, whilst Lodge Road has closed, being replaced by a smaller area office in Daventry.

## Arms

Coat of arms of West Northamptonshire Council :
* NotesGranted in May 2023.
* CrestOn a Wreath Or and Vert in front of a Mount Vert thereon a Tower triple-towered Argent the portcullis raised Or three Garbs banded and two Roses Gules barbed and seeded proper.
* EscutcheonVert on a Bend wavy on the upper edge Or four Roses Gules barbed and seeded proper between a Lion's Face and a Garb Or banded Gules.
* SupportersOn the dexter side a Lion guardant Or resting the interior hindpaw on an Escallop Argent and on the sinister side a Bull guardant Sable gorged with a Collar and Line reflexed over the back Or and resting the interior hindleg on a Horseshoe Argent.
* MottoAmbition, Pride, Unity, Prosperity
* BadgeA Lion sejant guardant supporting a Garb Or thereon four Roses palewise Gules barbed and seeded proper.
* SymbolismThe Dexter supporter, a golden lion, is taken from the arms of Northampton, with the scallop on which it stands, a reference to the arms of the Spencer family, owners of the Althorp Estate. The black bull in sinister, is taken from the former Northamptonshire County Council's arms. The four roses on the escutcheon stand for the towns of Daventry, Brackley, Towcester and Northampton.