Authority seeks 'parity' over historic council debt

A council said its call for a formal review of historic debt inherited through local government reorganisation was motivated by a duty to seek "parity for our residents".

In a letter to Secretary of State Angela Rayner, West Northamptonshire Council leader Mark Arnull asked the government to write off "substantial legacy liabilities" from the authorities replaced when the county's new unitary councils were created in 2021.

The Reform UK-controlled council pointed the government's decision to write off £500m of Woking Borough Council's historic £2bn debt.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government has been approached for comment.

West Northamptonshire Council did not disclose a figure for the debt in question, but it stood at about £40m in 2024.

In his letter to Rayner, Arnull said: "Our residents have been paying the price for shouldering the debts of the old councils for far too long.

"We're asking the Government to apply the same principle to Northamptonshire that it is now applying in Surrey.

"We are not asking for preferential treatment, only parity for our residents. This is about fairness, consistency and ensuring our taxpayers are not left carrying a burden that should have been addressed years ago."

He added that Northamptonshire residents "should not be held back by financial difficulties that arose before their current councils even existed" and said the unitary authorities had shown they could "manage our finances responsibly".

Arnull's letter was issued after the proposal received cross-party backing at last month's full council meeting.

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