Northamptonshire County Council
Former Northamptonshire County Council; issued Section 114 notices in 2018, abolished in 2021.
Northamptonshire County Council was the upper-tier authority for Northamptonshire until its abolition on 1 April 2021; its finance director issued a Section 114 notice in February 2018, the first by a council finance officer in 20 years.
Last refreshed: 7 October 2026
Timeline for Northamptonshire County Council
Issued a section 114 notice in 2018 and recovered through its split
Is Britain Actually Broke?: Mentioned in: Sefton holds £3.2m against £104m deficitMentioned in: Suffolk fights on over council shake-up
UK Local Elections 2026Mentioned in: Thurrock: Reform 41/49 with no budget
UK Local Elections 2026Issued England's 2018 section 114 notice, the counter-parallel
UK Local Elections 2026: Mentioned in: 22% of councils on emergency supportBackground
As the upper-tier authority, Northamptonshire County Council ran county services across Northamptonshire. Its finance director issued a Section 114 notice in February 2018, the first by a council finance officer in 20 years, and a second followed in July 2018. A government best value inspection led by Max Caller, published in March 2018, found the council had failed its best value duty and recommended two new unitary councils. Under the Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020, the council was wound up on 1 April 2021, replaced by North Northamptonshire Council and West Northamptonshire Council.
Its failure led to restructuring, not to the collapse of services, and it remains the reference case for English councils under strain. That record returned to view when figures published on 17 September 2026 showed councils had spent £5.8bn over their 2025-26 budgets. It is also the reference case in coverage of council emergency support and of ministers imposing reorganisation.