The partnership programme designed to support people across Northampton make positive choices to take control over their health and wellbeing has been shortlisted for ‘Partnership of the Year’ in the Museums + Heritage Awards 2023.Delapré Wellbeing partnership was created during the pandemic by local organisations across the town. Delapré Abbey Preservation Trust in partnership with Action for Happiness Northamptonshire, The General Practice Alliance Federation, Northampton Leisure Trust, Northamptonshire Sport, and the University of Northampton have worked together over the past year to put communities at the heart of public health.The project has enabled participants to improve their health and wellbeing...

18 April, 2023

A Corby estate agent has welcomed a new mortgage and protection advisor to the fold to strengthen the in-house financial advice service it offers.Belvoir have been working with mortgage broker LionHart to provide a resident mortgage solutions specialist in their George Street base for the past six months.And now LionHart’s Savannah Banks-Gould will be offering face-to-face, telephone or video call appointments to all Belvoir customers.She has a real passion for customer service and relishes the chance to help someone through the mortgage journey from start to finish.Mother-of-one Savannah has worked in the mortgage industry for more than eight years, having...

18 April, 2023

The government has announced that all plans for new smart motorways have been cancelled.This will mean that the 11 schemes already paused from the second Road Investment Strategy (2020 to 2025) and the 3 earmarked for construction during the third Road Investment Strategy (2025 to 2030) will be removed from the government’s road-building plans in recognition of the current lack of public confidence felt by drivers and cost pressures.While no new stretches will be converted, work on the M56 J6 to J8 and M6 J21a to J26 will go ahead as planned given they are already over three-quarters constructed.The government and National Highways will...

17 April, 2023

A state-of-the-art £14 million hub supporting start-up creative businesses in Northampton has appointed a new team to run the operation.Vulcan Works, which is managed by Oxford Innovation Space, opened its doors in February and will support local businesses to thrive through offering lettable office space, workshops, meeting rooms and coworking spaces.Garrick Hurter has been named as centre manager, ably supported by assistant centre manager Gail Haddon.The pair will be on hand to support innovation and collaboration at the centre, which is based in a Grade II listed converted ironworks factory in the town’s Cultural Quarter.Born and raised in South Africa,...

17 April, 2023

West Northamptonshire Council has received £73,000 to develop an electric vehicle strategy and research new innovations which will see new technology rolled out across the area.WNC has committed to becoming net zero in its carbon emissions by 2030 with plans to invest in sustainable and renewable energy sources.At the Cabinet meeting on Monday, 13 February, WNC presented its baseline emissions report for 2021-22; taking a step forward in meeting the sustainability goal to be net zero by 2030. This data will provide the catalyst for driving forward and implementing changes to reach this goal.A key example of how this will...

17 April, 2023

More than 15 social enterprises in North Northamptonshire have proved they are ‘stronger together’- celebrating the finale of a project designed to help them grow and thrive.The Growth for Good project, launched last summer by the North Northamptonshire Social Enterprise (NNSE) network, saw a host of not-for-profit organisations coming together for digital, marketing and media support.A dozen short films were produced, complemented by a popular programme of both online and face to face training which covered everything from press release writing and photography best practice to social media strategy and the power of storytelling.Alison Holland, founder of Brightwayz social enterprise and...

17 April, 2023

A Kettering-based recruitment consultancy has been named as a finalist in two categories of this year’s SME Northamptonshire Business Awards.Wills Consultants Ltd, run by husband and wife team Simon and Nikki Wills, has been shortlisted for High Growth Business of the Year and also in the Service Excellence category.The nominations recognise the outstanding service the company provides to its clients and the impressive way they have contributed to employment growth in the last year.Wills Consultants, which specialise in recruiting in the engineering, accountancy, finance and office professional sectors, has increased its own staff headcount by 133% in the last 12...

17 April, 2023

Following earlier consultations with local residents and stakeholders North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) has drafted a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) for Kettering, in collaboration with WSP and Brightwayz.Consultation activities included a series of workshops with residents and stakeholders and a dedicated feedback section on the Commonplace website.Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) provide a strategic approach to identifying cycling and walking improvements at a local level. They enable a long-term approach to developing local cycling and walking networks for the next ten years. They also form a vital part of the Government’s strategy to increase the number of trips...

15 April, 2023

North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) is promoting First Renewable Developments’ public consultation on the draft Masterplan for Kettering Energy Park to ensure residents and other interested parties can fully input into its development.The North Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy (also known as the ‘Local Plan’) recognises green industries as a sectoral priority to support economic growth in North Northamptonshire and for the role they have in securing resilience to climate change and long-term energy security. It also recognises the need for North Northamptonshire to become more self-reliant and resilient, with the generation of a significant proportion of its own energy requirements from...

14 April, 2023

Building a dual carriageway the length of the A43 between Kettering and Northampton is set to move a step closer – helping to relieve congestion and improve journey times.So far, the stretch of the A43 between the Round Spinney roundabout and the newly built Overstone Grange roundabout has been dualled, with work taking place in three phases between 2015 and 2020.A proposal before North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive next week outlines how the next phase – known as Phase three – would see the dual carriageway continue from Overstone Grange to the Holcot/Sywell roundabout.While the first phases are in the West...

13 April, 2023

New data has shown that more than 90% of HR professionals don’t fully understand the implications of forthcoming changes to UK employment law.The changes, being proposed by the Government surrounding the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill, are daunting and confusing for many.As part of leaving the European Union, the 2018 European Union (Withdrawal) Act was introduced, which resulted in an agreement being made between the European Union and the UK to allow the UK to retain most EU legislation in its domestic legislation even after Brexit.However, on 22 September 2022, the UK Government announced a new Bill -...

12 April, 2023