East Northamptonshire


East Northamptonshire is a local government district in Northamptonshire, England. Its council is based in Thrapston and Rushden. Other towns include Oundle, Raunds, Irthlingborough and Higham Ferrers. The town of Rushden is the largest settlement in the district and the smallest settlement is the hamlet of Shotley. The population of the District Council at the 2011 Census was 86,765.
The district borders onto the Borough of Corby, the Borough of Kettering, the Borough of Wellingborough, the Borough of Bedford, the City of Peterborough, the District of Huntingdonshire, South Kesteven District and the unitary authority county of Rutland.
The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, by a merger of the municipal borough of Higham Ferrers, with the urban districts of Irthlingborough, Oundle, Raunds and Rushden, along with Oundle and Thrapston Rural District, and Newton Bromswold from Wellingborough Rural District.
Much of the district is home to Rockingham Forest, once a Royal hunting forest which takes its name from the village of Rockingham where William I built a castle.
The district is home to several of Northamptonshire's airfields including Spanhoe, King's Cliffe, Deenethorpe, Polebrook, Chelveston and Lyveden.
In March 2018, an independent report commissioned by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, proposed structural changes to local government in Northamptonshire. These changes would see the existing county council and district councils abolished and two new unitary authorities created in their place. One authority would consist of the existing districts of Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire and the other authority would consist of Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering and Wellingborough districts.

Geography

There are six towns in the district. Rushden is by far the largest with a population of 29,272. It is situated in the very south of the district and forms a single urban area with the neighbouring town of Higham Ferrers which has a population of 7,145. The second largest town in the district is Raunds, population 8,641 followed closely by Irthlingborough, population 8,535. The smallest town in the district is Thrapston where the HQ of the East Northamptonshire council is located. Oundle is a historical market town with many ancient buildings, including parish church with the tallest spire in the county and a large Public School. Higham Ferrers, which is part of Rushden's urban area, was the birthplace for Henry Chichele and chichele college. Irthlingborough was home to Rushden & Diamonds Football Club before it went into liquidation.
There are no railway stations in East Northamptonshire. There is one College in East Northamptonshire.

Election results

2019 no election in any of the Northamptonshire districts, following a budgetary overspending crisis and subsequent plans to merge East Northamptonshire local authority with three other districts/boroughs to form a unitary authority of North Northamptonshire. In the meantime, councillors terms of office have been extended at least up to 2020.
2015
Conservative - 37 seats
Labour - 1 seats
Independent - 2 seats
2011
Conservative - 35 seats
Labour - 2 seats
Independent - 3 seats
2007
Conservative - 39 seats
Labour - 0 seats
Independent - 1 seat
2004
Conservative - 33 seats
Labour - 3 seats

Settlements and parishes