The Shared Services Joint Committee met to discuss the disaggregation of shared IT services between North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) and West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). The committee approved the decision for NNC to disaggregate the IT services provided by WNC, with the exclusion of services provided to the Northamptonshire Children's Trust and those included within business systems arrangements. NNC will fund the one-off costs of disaggregation and 75% of any unavoidable stranded costs, and the Section 151 officers¹ of both councils will agree the final cost implications.

DTI Disaggregation

The main item on the agenda was the disaggregation of the shared IT service between NNC and WNC, and the committee voted to approve the recommendations in the DTI Disaggregation report. The report provided an update on the progress made since the last discussion in March 2025 and outlined the next steps for the process.

Guy Holloway, Assistant Chief Executive (NNC), introduced the report, explaining that the shared IT service was established in 2021 following local government reform². He noted that NNC has a long-standing IT strategy to become self-sufficient by March 2027, and the report confirmed that the council is on track to achieve this. He also highlighted the key elements of the disaggregation process, including:

• A clear set of principles for disaggregation
• Strong joint governance through a strategic oversight board and a project delivery board
• Identification of key areas for action

The recommendations in Section 3 of the DTI Disaggregation report were approved:

• Progress of due diligence noted: The committee noted the progress made in the due diligence process related to the IT services disaggregation from WNC to NNC (3 votes for, 0 against, 2 abstentions).
• Decision to disaggregate approved: The decision to disaggregate IT services from WNC to NNC was approved, excluding services provided to the Northamptonshire Children's Trust and those within the business systems arrangements (3 votes for, 0 against, 2 abstentions).
• NNC to fund disaggregation costs: NNC will fund the one-off costs of disaggregation and 75% of any unavoidable stranded costs for a maximum of 18 months from the start of the process (3 votes for, 0 against, 2 abstentions).
• Delegation of authority to Section 151 officers: The Section 151 officers of both councils were delegated the authority to jointly agree on the final cost implications of the disaggregation (3 votes for, 2 against).
• Existing governance arrangements to continue: The existing governance arrangements, including the Strategic Oversight Board and Project Delivery Board, will continue to oversee the delivery of an exit plan (3 votes for, 0 against, 2 abstentions).

Councillor Graham Cheatley, Executive Member for Finance, Efficiency and Change, supported the recommendations, emphasising the importance of value for money and direct control over costs. He also praised the ICT infrastructure being developed by NNC, saying that he had been given a tour of North Authenticity Council's new server room and wider ICT operation and that It was very impressive, I have to say. It's a really good set-up and clearly shows the scale and strength of the infrastructure that will support our future ICT independence.

Councillor Andrew Last, Cabinet Member for HR, Corporate and Regulatory Services, expressed his opposition to the disaggregation, stating that WNC officers and the current WNC administration do not support it. He said that the due diligence report acknowledged that there was no disaggregation benefit to WNC and its taxpayers, and that the report lacked measurable goals. He also raised concerns about the scope of disaggregation, particularly regarding security, and the potential for underestimated costs. He said that an independent report commissioned by both NNC and WNC found that disaggregation would be complex, costly, risky, and unnecessary. Despite his opposition, Councillor Andrew Last promised to work tirelessly with audit teams to ensure appropriate performance metrics and financial and service delivery expectations are monitored.

Councillor Brian Benneyworth noted Councillor Andrew Last's comments but reiterated NNC's commitment to achieving operational independence in IT arrangements by March 2027.

Councillor Martin Griffiths, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, added that staff have been increasingly frustrated with access to their computers, affecting their ability to perform their duties.