Towcester Town Council
Councillors and Wards
Towcester Town Council is made up of 16 Councillors, from Towcester's two wards – Brook Ward and Mill Ward. Councillors are elected every four years to represent their particular wards. The most recent election was held on 7 May 2021.
All Town Councillors are volunteers, and receive no payment.
Although described as a Town Council, Towcester Town Council is classified as a Parish Council and has the same status in relation to the other tiers of local government as the many smaller Parish Councils in the surrounding villages.
This means it can be difficult to know which tier of Council is responsible for services. For example West Northamptonshire Council is the local Planning Authority and makes all planning decisions whilst Towcester Town Council has a consultative role.
Our Responsibilities
The Town Clerk's office is located at: Towcester Town Hall, 86 Watling Street East, Towcester NN12 6BS.
Full Council Meetings are held in Towcester Town Hall, 86 Watling Street East on the second Monday of each month. Committee meetings are held in the Town Hall or at The Sawpits Centre, off Richmond Road - see the diary of meetings for more information.
Residents are welcome to attend all meetings of the Council and its committees.
Towcester Town Council directly provides the following services to the town:
- Adopted play areas throughout the town for all ages – including the provision, regular inspection, and maintenance of play equipment and regular litter picking.
- Maintenance, including regular litter picking, of parcels of land around the town, including the Recreation Ground, St Lawrence Churchyard, Belle Baulk open area, Tove Wetlands Pocket Park, Saxon Fields (open area by Northampton Road and River Tove below The Shires), Nicholas Hawksmoor Pocket Park, the Riverside Walk, and several small green spaces within residential areas, including Sawpits Green in Richmond Road.
- Towcester Town Hall, built in 1866 as a Corn Exchange, is the venue for Council meetings and home to the Town Clerk's office. It also provides offices let to several business tenants. The Town Hall was purchased by the Town Council from the former South Northamptonshire Council in 2021.
- The Sawpits Centre, originally a Victorian school, the council offices, then library, is now a community centre off Richmond Road, which serves as a venue for a variety of local clubs and organisations.
- The council is a trustee of the Towcester Youth & Community Centre in Islington Road, which is occupied by the Northamptonshire Children's Trust during the week and available to hire during the evening and at weekends.
- The council has a long-term lease for land behind Malthouse Court for the provision of allotments which parishioners can rent. There is currently a considerably long waiting list, however there is land earmarked within the southern urban development for additional cemetery/allotment space and this will be transferred to the Town Council at a future date.
- Bus shelters, some benches and some non-highway street lighting, and currently financially supports the no.87 bus service.
- Several pedestrian footbridges, including those over the Tove and Silverstone Brook.
- Litter bins in the council's open areas and all dog litter bins, except those on land owned by developers.
- Maintaining some highway grass verges in the town on behalf of WNC.
- Brackley Road Cemetery, chapel, war memorial and Lodge, which is rented out as private accommodation.
- The refurbished public toilets in Richmond Road.
- Small community grants for local organisations.
- Vehicle Activated Speed Signs (mobile traffic safety signs deployed and managed by volunteers from Neighbourhood Watch).
- In partnership with others, the council funds and organises flower displays and union flags in the town centre in summer, and festive trees and lights at Christmas.
- Towcester Town Crier – a community magazine published four times a year, which includes advertisements and articles from local community groups, voluntary organisations, and charities as well as news from the council and details of upcoming events. It is distributed to over 5,000 Towcester households by volunteers. Back issues are available to read on our website. The publication is largely self-funded through advertising.
- The Town Council also produces the Town Guide, this booklet provides helpful information about Towcester, the history of the town, a map of the area and a useful list of local services. Follow the links to view online or pick up a copy from the Town Council offices, Towcester Museum, library or estate agents.
- The Town Council is represented on other local bodies, including, Towcester Combined Charities, the Sponne & Bickerstaffe Charity, Northamptonshire ACRE, South Northants Youth Engagement, The Midsummer Music Festival, and currently, the Towcester Medical Centre Development Group.
- The Town Council is also a member of the Northamptonshire Association of Local Councils.
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