Major shake-up proposed for Northamptonshire - as councils seek more power

A major shake-up of local government in Northamptonshire has been proposed - which could see the county council cease to exist.

Politicians in Northampton what to increase their power by becoming a unitary authority.

The idea, which is supported by all the main parties, would mean services would no longer be run by a mixture of the borough council - which currently takes care of housing, waste collection and car park management - and the county council - which handles highways, adult social care, and education.

Instead, Northampton Borough Council would run all services within its area.

There are already a number of unitary authorities in the Anglia region - including Bedford and Peterborough which both had smaller populations at the time they took control than Northampton has now.

Meanwhile, South Northamptonshire District Council has also indicated it would like to become part of a unitary authority - joining forces with parts of Oxfordshire to create it.

The plans are all backed by MPs, district and borough councils - but not the county council.

If the proposals went ahead, it would be the biggest shake-up of local government in Northamptonshire for more than 40 years.

See Matthew Hudson's report below.