At the annual meeting of North Northamptonshire Council, Councillor Helen Campbell was elected as Chair of the Council, and Councillor Maurice Eglin was appointed as Vice-Chair. Councillors also noted the election results from 1 May, which saw Reform UK gain a majority on the council, and they approved committee memberships and appointments to outside bodies.

Election of Council Chair and Vice-Chair

Councillor Helen Campbell was elected as Chair of North Northamptonshire Council for 2025-26, with 56 votes in favour, four abstentions and two against. Councillor Howell thanked the outgoing Chair, Councillor Lora Lawman, for being impartial and fair. Councillor Lorman added that Councillor Lawman had been a true ambassador for North Northamptonshire Council and had raised the profile of the new authority.

Councillor Maurice Eglin was then elected as Vice-Chair of the council, with 56 votes in favour, four abstentions and three against.

Election Results

Adele Wiley, Chief Executive and Returning Officer, presented the Report of the Returning Officer, which detailed the results of the local elections held on 1 May 2025. The overall turnout across the 30 wards contested was 31.6% from an electorate of 263,915.

The overall result of the election was:

• Reform UK: 39 councillors
• Conservative: 13 councillors
• Green: 8 councillors
• Labour: 4 councillors
• Independent: 1 councillor
• Liberal Democrat: 1 councillor

Ms Wiley noted that the election for the Higham and Ferris ward, which will comprise two members, had been rearranged to take place on Thursday 12 June 2025, following the death of one of the candidates.

Political Leadership

Councillors noted the Political Group Leadership for 2025/26:

• Reform UK: Councillor Martin Griffiths (Leader), Councillor Eddie McDonald (Deputy Leader)
• Conservative: Councillor Helen Harrison (Leader), Councillor David Howes (Deputy Leader)
• Green: Councillor Emily Fedorowycz (Leader), Councillor James Towns (Deputy Leader)
• Labour: Councillor Mark Pengelly (Leader), Councillor David Baker (Deputy Leader)
• Communities Alliance: Councillor Jim Hakewill (Leader), Councillor Simon Fairhall (Deputy Leader)

Councillor Martin Griffiths addressed the council, stating that the election results signalled a clear desire for change and that he and his fellow councillors were committed to delivering changes for the better. He also stated that he wanted to change the way the council does business and to see more collaborative working and more scrutiny of policy and performance.

Councillor Griffiths announced the new executive appointments:

• Councillor Martin Griffiths (Leader of the Council): Housing, Big 50, human resources and devolution
• Councillor Eddie McDonald (Deputy Leader): Adult services, adults commissioning, health and social care integration, and safeguarding of adults and care and support needs
• Councillor Graham Cheatley: Finance, efficiency and change
• Councillor Ken Harrington: Assets, waste and environmental services
• Councillor Elizabeth Wright: Children, education and families
• Councillor Chris McGiffin: Highways and travel
• Councillor Jan O'Hara: Planning and economic growth
• Councillor Kirk Harrison: Regulatory services
• Councillor Greg Wilcox: Communities
• Councillor Barry O'Brien: Health and leisure

Committee Membership and Appointment of Chairs/Vice Chairs

The council approved the committee membership and the appointment of chairs and vice-chairs. The Committee Membership Appointment of Chairs Vice Chairs 220525 1 report detailed the allocation of seats to committees in accordance with political balance rules set out in the Local Government and Housing Act 1989¹.

Key appointments included:

• Audit and Governance Committee: Councillor Brendon Lovell-Moore (Chair), Councillor Bill McElhinney (Vice Chair)
• Democracy and Standards Committee: Councillor Joe Garner (Chair), Councillor Darren Rance (Vice Chair)
• Employment Committee: Councillor Chris Munday (Chair), Councillor Ken Harrington (Vice Chair)
• Licensing and Appeals Committee: Councillor Denis McLean (Chair), Councillor Paul Brooke (Vice Chair)
• Planning Committee: Councillor Chris Kellett (Chair), Councillor Scott Brown (Vice Chair)
• Children, Young Persons and Education Scrutiny: Councillor Vincent Whitrow (Chair), Councillor Paul Brooke (Vice Chair)
• Corporate Scrutiny Committee: Councillor James Hakewill (Chair), Councillor Chris Kellett (Vice Chair)
• Health Scrutiny Committee: Councillor Leon Gibbs (Chair), Councillor Julie Lumsden (Vice Chair)
• Place and Environment Scrutiny Committee: Councillor Trevor Conway (Chair), Councillor Matt Davies (Vice Chair)
• Scrutiny Management Board: Councillor Chris Kellett (Chair), Councillor Vicent Whitrow (Vice Chair)

Outside Bodies

The council approved appointments to community outside bodies, as detailed in the Outside Bodies Appointments report.

The Leader of the Council made the following appointments to strategic outside bodies:

• East Midlands Councils: Councillor Griffiths
• District Council Network (DCN): Councillor Griffiths
• County Council Network (CCN): Councillor Griffiths
• Anglian Northern Regional Flood and Coastal Committee: Councillor Brackenbury, Councillor James Towns
• Northamptonshire Sports Partnership: Councillor O’Brien
• Northampton Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust: Councillor Bennyworth
• Northamptonshire Rights and Equalities Council: Councillor Munday
• Northamptonshire Action with Communities in Rural England: Councillor Wilcox
• Corby Town Deal Board: Councillor McDonald, Councillor Donnelly
• Strategic Transport Leadership Board for England’s Economic Heartland: Councillor O’Hara
• Transport for the East Midlands (Teems): Councillor McGiffin
• Adoption Panel: Councillor Whitrow
• Standing Advisory Council on Religious Education (SACRE): Councillor Partridge-Underwood, Councillor Goncalvez
• Greenway Board: Councillor O’Hara, Councillor David Baker, Councillor James Towns
• Groundwork Northamptonshire: Councillor Maurice Eglin
• Destination Nene Valley: Councillor Harrington
• Local Government Association: Councillor Griffiths
• North Northants Community Safety Partnership: Councillor Trevor Conway, Councillor Vincent Whitrow
• Northamptonshire Traveller Unit (NTU) Executive Board: Councillor Kirk Harrison
• Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE) Central Region: Councillor Jan O’Hara, Councillor Mark Pengelly

The council then voted on the community nominations. Councillor Julie Lumsden was appointed as outside body representative for Kettering General Hospital Governor's Council, defeating Councillor Steve Geary in a show of hands.