West Northamptonshire compared with councils in East Midlands
Compared with the 6 councils in East Midlands.
- Residents
- 444,218 (mid-2025)
- Band D council tax
- £2,487 a year in 2026-27, including police, fire and parish charges
Where West Northamptonshire sits
5
measures in the bottom quarter
6
measures below the middle
10
measures in the top half
West Northamptonshire compares worst with councils in East Midlands on:
- new EHC plans issued within 20 weeks (5th of 5; 1st is highest)
- upheld complaints per 100,000 residents (6th of 6; 1st is lowest)
- tenants satisfied their home is safe (5th of 5; 1st is highest)
It compares best on:
- non-emergency repairs done within target time (1st of 5; 1st is highest)
- ombudsman remedies delivered on time (1st of 4; 1st is highest)
- council tax collected in the year it was due (2nd of 6; 1st is highest)
SEND assessments
Education, health and care plans set out support for children with special educational needs. The law says a new plan should be issued within 20 weeks.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New EHC plans issued within 20 weeks 2025 | 7.9% | 52.6% | Bottom quarter 5th of 5 |
Ombudsman complaints
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman looks at complaints the council's own complaints process has not resolved. Upheld means the Ombudsman found the council at fault.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Upheld complaints per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 10.1 | 4.8 | Bottom quarter 6th of 6 | |
| Complaints to the Ombudsman per 100,000 residents 2025-26 | 52.5 | 49.9 | Below the middle 4th of 6 | |
| Upheld complaints about children's services per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about special educational needs per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld complaints about homelessness per 100,000 residents | No figure | No figure | No figure | |
| Upheld cases the council had already put right 2025-26 | 8.9% | 8.9% | Below the middle 3rd of 5 | |
| Ombudsman remedies delivered on time 2025-26 | 92.5% | 65.7% | Top half 1st of 4 |
Council housing
From the tenant survey and performance figures every council landlord reports to the Regulator of Social Housing. Only councils that still own council homes are included.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tenants satisfied with the overall service 2024-25 | 67.5% | 67.0% | Top half 2nd of 5 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is well maintained 2024-25 | 67.7% | 67.7% | Below the middle 3rd of 5 | |
| Tenants satisfied their home is safe 2024-25 | 72.6% | 75.3% | Bottom quarter 5th of 5 | |
| Tenants who say the council listens and acts 2024-25 | 57.3% | 57.3% | Below the middle 3rd of 5 | |
| Non-emergency repairs done within target time 2024-25 | 93.0% | 83.3% | Top half 1st of 5 | |
| Council homes failing the Decent Homes Standard 2024-25 | 19.2% | 0.7% | Bottom quarter 5th of 5 | |
| Stage 1 housing complaints answered in time 2024-25 | 73.6% | 73.6% | Below the middle 3rd of 5 |
Council tax
How much of the year's council tax bills the council collected by 31 March.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Council tax collected in the year it was due 2025-26 | 96.4% | 94.1% | Top half 2nd of 6 |
Streets and waste
Fly-tipping the council recorded, how often it took enforcement action, and how much household waste was recycled.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents 2024-25 | 48 | 20.9 | Bottom quarter 5th of 6 | |
| Enforcement actions per 100 fly-tipping incidents 2024-25 | 24.1 | 30.2 | Below the middle 4th of 6 | |
| Household waste reused, recycled or composted 2023-24 | 46.6% | 44.2% | Top half 3rd of 6 |
Homelessness
Temporary accommodation and the outcomes of homelessness cases, from the council's statutory returns.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Households in temporary accommodation per 1,000 households January to March 2026 | 3.7 | 4.3 | Top half 3rd of 6 | |
| Families in temporary accommodation for 2 years or more January to March 2026 | 10.2% | 10.8% | Top half 2nd of 5 | |
| Prevention cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 50.0% | 47.6% | Top half 2nd of 6 | |
| Relief cases ending with a home secured January to March 2026 | 42.2% | 41.5% | Top half 2nd of 6 |
Website
An automated test of the council website's accessibility.
| Measure | West Northamptonshire | Median | Position | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Website accessibility score October 2026 | 99.4% | 97.5% | Top half 2nd of 6 |
What the council spends
Net spending per resident in 2025-26, after fees, charges and specific grants, not counting schools. Spending more is not better or worse on its own. Negative highways figures come from parking income.
| Service | West Northamptonshire | Median | Rank, highest first | Across England |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Children's social care | £288 | £293 | 4th of 6 | |
| Adult social care | £406 | £458 | 5th of 6 | |
| Public health | £62 | £78 | 4th of 6 | |
| Housing (general fund) | £43 | £35 | 3rd of 6 | |
| Environmental and regulatory | £97 | £100 | 5th of 6 | |
| Highways and transport | £50 | £81 | 5th of 6 | |
| Culture and leisure | £20 | £36 | 6th of 6 | |
| Planning and development | £25 | £30 | 4th of 6 | |
| Central services | £50 | £56 | 4th of 6 | |
| All services excluding schools | £1,053 | £1,159 | 6th of 6 |
Children's services inspection
Ofsted rated West Northamptonshire’s children's services requires improvement at its last full inspection, in October 2022.
- Outstanding
- 1 of the 6 councils in East Midlands
- Good
- 1 of the 6 councils in East Midlands
- Requires improvement
- 3 of the 6 councils in East Midlands, including West Northamptonshire
- Inadequate
- 1 of the 6 councils in East Midlands
Over time
West Northamptonshire against the median of councils in East Midlands.
EHC plans issued within 20 weeks
By calendar year.
- West Northamptonshire: 7.9%
- Median (councils in East Midlands): 52.6%
Upheld Ombudsman complaints per 100,000 residents
Using the latest population estimate for every year.
- West Northamptonshire: 10.1
- Median (councils in East Midlands): 4.8
Household waste recycling rate
Reused, recycled or composted.
- West Northamptonshire: 46.6%
- Median (councils in East Midlands): 44.2%
Fly-tipping incidents per 1,000 residents
As recorded by the council.
- West Northamptonshire: 48
- Median (councils in East Midlands): 20.9
How to read these figures
Position 1 is the best in the group. The bottom quarter is shown in red, below the middle in yellow and the top half in green. Councils with the same figure share a position.
In each chart, every mark is a council in England and the large dot is West Northamptonshire. Councils in the group you are comparing with are darker. The dashed line is the group's median.