In 2021, the eight former councils in Northamptonshire were abolished and replaced by two new unitary authorities:

• West Northamptonshire Council – covering Daventry, Northampton, and South Northamptonshire.
• North Northamptonshire Council – covering Wellingborough, Kettering, Corby, and East Northamptonshire.

Current Local Plans in Northamptonshire include:

North Northamptonshire

• The current Local Plan for North Northamptonshire includes the Joint Core Strategy and supporting area-based plans. The Joint Core Strategy adopted in July 2016 provides the strategic planning policies for the future development of the area from 2016 to 2031.
• This sets strategic policies set out in the Part 2 Local Plans for Corby, East Northamptonshire, Kettering, and Wellingborough:
  • Corby – adopted September 2021.
  • East Northamptonshire – adopted December 2023.
  • Kettering – adopted December 2021.
  • Wellingborough – adopted February 2019.
•  The Council is progressing work on its new Local Plan in response to Government reforms designed to deliver simpler, faster and more accessible planning documents. Following independent advice, the Council will recommend to the Executive on 20 January 2026 that it moves to the new plan-making system expected to come into force during 2026. This approach removes the risk of missing the December 2026 deadline under the current system, allows existing technical work to be reused, and provides more time for meaningful engagement with communities and stakeholders.

West Northamptonshire

• Joint Core Strategy (Part 1) was adopted in December 2014 and sets out the long-term vision and objectives for the whole of the area covered by the former Daventry District, Northampton Borough and South Northamptonshire Councils for the plan period up to 2029.
• This sets strategic policies set out in the Part 2 Local Plans for Daventry, Northampton, and South Northamptonshire:
  • Daventry Settlements & Countryside Plan – adopted Feb 2020.
  • Northampton Local Plan Part 2 – adopted March 2023.
  • South Northamptonshire Local Plan Part 2 – adopted July 2020.
• The Council is currently at the Regulation 18 stage of preparing its new Local Plan, with a Draft Local Plan consultation ending on 27 March 2026. The current consultation sets out updated policy approaches, spatial strategy options and potential site allocations. The council will now review representations and continue to develop its evidence base before progressing to a Proposed Submission (Regulation 19) version, expected later in 2026, ahead of examination.

For further advice or to find out how your property fits into this framework for planning in Northamptonshire please contact us.