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Decision-making and committees
There are 42 councillors elected every four years to the Council. Each represents a local area in the district, known as a ward.
The political make-up of the Council is now 35 Conservative councillors and 7 Independent. This means that the Conservatives are in overall control of the Council.
The Leader of the Council is Councillor Mrs Mary Clarke. The Deputy Leader is Councillor Mrs Rosie Herring
Most important decisions about your services are taken by Councillors. They rely on advice from professional Council officers who then have to put the decisions into action. In some cases officers are also able to make routine decisions on day-to-day matters within guidelines and with the permission of your Councillors.
For more details contact our Committee Administration team on:
Committee Administration
South Northamptonshire Council
Springfields
Towcester NN12 6AE
Telephone: 01327 322124/322123/322043
Email: committee.administration@southnorthants.gov.uk
Cabinet
The Cabinet of eight senior councillors takes all the major decisions and makes important recommendations on budgets and policy. The Cabinet members are Councillor Mrs Mary Clarke, Councillor Mrs Rebecca Breese, Councillor Robin Digby, Councillor Rupert Fordham, Councillor Mrs Rosie Herring, Councillor Ian McCord, Councillor John Townsend and Councillor Andrew Wilby.
Full Council
The full Council approves policies and strategies, approves budgets and agrees the Council Tax.
Members of public can attend almost all meetings of the Cabinet and Committees. You are welcome to ask questions at Council meetings if you are on the electoral register for South Northamptonshire but you must give notice by writing to, or emailing, the Chief Executive at least three clear working days before the meeting. You can also present a petition as long as it contains at least 50 signatures of South Northamptonshire electors. Read the details of the Council's adopted petition scheme.
Planning applicants, objectors (one only) and Parish and Town Councils can speak at the Development Control Committee meetings, which are held every three weeks.
To apply to register contact:
Committee Administration
Telephone: 01327 322124
Email: committee.administration@southnorthants.gov.uk
Chairman
The Chairman of the Council is Councillor Dermot Bambridge, who has been elected by all councillors and will serve for one year until May 2011. The Vice-Chairman is Councillor Sally Townsend. The Chairman chairs the full Council meeting and is the Council's civic figurehead and acts as an ambassador for the Council and the district of South Northamptonshire.
Each year the Chairman raises money for his or her chosen charities. Councillor Bambridge has chosen to support two local charities, The Parkinsons Disease Society, and St John Ambulance Northamptonshire, Towcester and Brackley Division.
If you would like to invite the Chairman to an event please contact:
Executive Secretary
Telephone: 01327 322302
Email: jackie.gillespie@southnorthants.gov.uk
Committees
For details of all the other committees, what they do and when they are held, just click on Committee Management System.
The Small Print
We have a strict way of running ourselves and an open set of rules for our procedures. This small print is in what we call our Constitution