Working towards a better Brixworth
Potential candidates urged to find out more at elections briefing
People thinking of standing as a candidate in the West Northamptonshire Council or the Brixworth Parish Council elections are encouraged to join in a briefing taking place soon.
By becoming a parish councillor you become someone your community will look to for help, guidance and support – a community leader with the power to influence decisions for the benefit of the people you serve.
Seeing your community change for the better, as a result of decisions you have helped make, is something that can give you a sense of achievement and pride.
For further details, please contact the Parish Clerk or the Elections Team at Daventry District Council on 01327 871100 (Mon – Fri 9am – 4:30pm)
Alternatively, you can visit the Electoral Commissions website. This webpage contains all the guidance and resources that you need if you are a candidate at a parish or community election in England.
Training is provided by the Northants County Association of Parish Councils, who represent the vast majority of parish and town councils in Northants.
To stand for election on a parish council, you must:
To be eligible to stand for an parish election for Brixworth, you must:
If you do become a parish councillor you will have to sign up to the Parish Council’s Code of Conduct.
The Parish Council meets once a month for the council meeting, to which members of the public are also invited. Meetings may last two or three hours, depending on what’s on the list of items to discuss. The Parish Council has two committees to deal with Planning and Media & Communications. It also has Working Groups to deal with specific project work. Usually you would expect to attend a minimum of two meetings per month – either at the Community Centre or via Microsoft Teams. (when legally possible)
Once elected, parish councillors sit on the council for a maximum of four years. If they then want to stay in the post they can stand for re-election.
It doesn’t mean that you have to stay for four years, if you find it’s not for you or you can no longer meet the commitment you can stand down.
The best way to find out what it’s like to be a parish councillor is to talk to someone who’s doing it now. Come along to a parish council meeting, speak to one of the councillors and find out what they think of the job. Alternatively you can attend one of our Saturday Surgeries at the community Centre.
The Business & IP Centre Northamptonshire (BIPC) is supporting the local business community with the launch of its Reset. Restart Small Business Grants. This is open to Northamptonshire based businesses who have been registered for 12 months or less, as well as those who simply just have an idea and need support in launching their business successfully.
This 
is part of a wider, national initiative of workshops and dedicated support.
Successful applicants will receive:
The deadline for applications is midnight on Sunday 28 March 2021.
Details on how to apply are available on the BIPC Northamptonshire website at: https://www.northamptonshire.gov.uk/businesslibrary
What you and your communities can do…The law on clearing snow and ice
Northamptonshire Highways simply do not have the resource to grit every path and road in the county and encourage people to use the 1500 grit bins across the county.
The salt is for use on public roads and paths.
If you find a bin that is empty, please report to Street Doctor and we will come out and refill. Grit bins contain a 50/50 mix of sand/salt and hold approximately 0.75 tonnes.
There is a common misconception that the public could be held liable if they use the grit from the grit bins. This is not true and we actively encourage people to use the grit in these bins for use on the public paths and roads or public spaces. This grit is not for use on private paths and driveways.
If an accident did occur, it’s unlikely that you’ll be sued or held responsible if someone is injured on a path or pavement if you have cleared it carefully.
Don’t be afraid to clear public paths in fear someone will get injured. People walking on snow and ice have the responsibility to be careful. Don’t make the pathways more dangerous by causing them to refreeze.
Further information can be found on the NCC website Just search Northamptonshire Highways Gritting www.northamptonshire.gov.uk
For highway and gritting updates follow us on Twitter @nnhighways
On Thursday, 6 May voters across the three areas will go to the polls to elect a total of 93 councillors for the new unitary authority, which will be formed on 1 April this year, replacing the existing district, borough and county councils.
On Polling Day residents will also be able to cast votes for the Northamptonshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and to elect representatives for many of their local parish councils.
Work is underway to ensure that residents can cast their votes safely during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, with a range of Covid-safe measures being planned for polling stations, alongside the other usual options such as voting by post or by proxy (when someone votes on your behalf).
People are urged to apply for postal votes as early as possible ahead of the deadline of 5pm on 20 April and those wishing to vote by proxy can also do this now before the deadline of 5pm on 27 April.
Anyone who is not yet registered to vote must do so by Monday, 19 April in order to take part in this spring’s elections.
Anna Earnshaw, Returning Officer for the West Northamptonshire elections and the Chief Executive of the new Council, said: “The Government has said they will be keeping the date of the elections under review which is right and proper given the fast-changing circumstances of the Coronavirus pandemic.
“We’re currently preparing for them to go ahead as scheduled on 6 May, including putting robust measures in place to ensure everyone will have the opportunity to safely cast their vote in these historic elections for West Northamptonshire.
“Despite these extra measures, anyone who is clinically vulnerable or does not feel able to visit a polling station on Election Day should register to vote by post or proxy as soon as possible.”
Polling arrangements are currently being organised by elections staff in Daventry District, South Northants and Northampton until the new West Northamptonshire Council is formed on 1 April. In the run-up to this, residents will still need to apply for postal and proxy votes via their existing district or borough councils.
Voters in Daventry District can apply by emailing or calling 01327 871100, Northampton residents should email or call 0300 330 7000, and people living in South Northants should email or call 01327 322128.
Residents unsure whether or not they are registered to vote can check by contacting their local elections team on the contact details above. Those who need to register can do so at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, where they will be asked to provide their name, National Insurance number and date of birth.