On Friday, 8th June, I met Cllr Jonathan Nunn, Leader of Northampton Borough Council (NBC), and the new Chief Executive, George Candler, and took the opportunity to raise with them some important constituency issues.
I have recently received a large volume of emails and letters from constituents concerned about litter, fly-tipping, and the overgrown condition of roadside verges and foliage across Northampton. The new Chief Executive has assured me that he will focus on these issues as a priority, and he recognises the value of civic pride in our town.
Specifically regarding the issue of maintenance and litter collection, I have been told that NBC’s former contractor had suffered several operational issues which had a significant impact on their mowing schedule through the first few months of this year. However, the contract with that company expired on Monday, 4th June and was replaced with a new contactor, Veolia.
The Borough Council has been proactive in raising these existing issues with Veolia, and the new contractors have said they will take all possible steps to speed up mowing and litter collection around Northampton now that they have taken over. The Chief Executive has informed me that the Council has given Veolia an immediate instruction to bring maintenance levels to an acceptably high standard, which will then be maintained through explicit contractual obligations to ensure these are maintained going forward.
I trust we will see marked improvements in town maintenance.