What has the parish council been telling residents? Notices, consultations and reports from the council, newest first, including the papers from the Annual Parish Meetings, the Neighbourhood Development Plan and the council's finances: 19 posts and 31 documents, each one a PDF to read on screen or download.
Updated November 2026
10 posts
Report on police activity in the locality across 2025.
Reports from PS Greg Harrison (Daventry and the local area), PS Josh Ellard (The Grange estate) and PS Lewis Judd (the wider rural area, including Woodford Halse and Weedon, and the northern rural district covering Brixworth, Moulton and the surrounding parishes), along with key achievements and initiatives.
A national consultation, promoted across West Northamptonshire, asking what people value about community life and the kind of communities they want.
Receipts, payments and cash flow from 2015 to 2025, and the new precept projection for 2015 to 2026.
The Reading Room Trust's report on its management, activities and future plans over the past year.
Updates from local organisations, community groups and the ward councillors on their activities, achievements and matters of interest over the past year.
The Local Plan presentation: the proposed vision, policies and development priorities shaping the area over the coming years.
A summary of the parish council's main activities, decisions, achievements and challenges over the past year.
Held in the Village Hall on Thursday 23 April 2026: doors at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
All residents were invited to hear updates on local projects, learn how the council has worked on the parish's behalf over the past year, and raise questions or ideas about the future of the parish, with wine and nibbles provided. The reports from the meeting are above.
The previous Neighbourhood Development Plan, which did not pass.
A Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is a community-led planning document that sets out a shared vision for how the parish should grow and develop. It lets residents shape planning policies on housing, green spaces, design standards, local facilities and infrastructure. Once it has been prepared, independently examined and supported in a local referendum, it becomes part of the statutory development plan and must be considered when planning applications are decided.
A briefing on the Daventry area local bus study, with the survey poster.
9 posts
West Northamptonshire Council consulted on three transport strategies: the draft Active Travel Strategy, the draft Rail Action Plan and the draft Mobility Hub Action Plan. The survey closed on 27 January 2026.
The public footpaths at Well Lane have been reopened following successful legal action by the Open Spaces Society. West Northamptonshire Council accepted the routes are public rights of way and removed the unlawful obstructions, so these well-used paths stay open.
The Open Spaces Society (OSS) has won an important legal victory against West Northamptonshire Council, which had tried unlawfully to close parts of three public footpaths at Staverton.
The footpaths had been illegally obstructed by gates and fences at Wellbrook Lodge. Instead of carrying out its statutory duty to secure their removal (note 1), the council made a temporary traffic regulation order (TTRO, note 2) to move the footpaths to an alternative route.
Alerted by Staverton Parish Council, the OSS argued that the TTRO was unlawful, since the grounds for making one were not met. West Northamptonshire Council said the TTRO was made for 'public health and safety' but failed to identify any genuine danger justifying the closure. The real reason for making it was to regularise the unlawful obstructions and unofficial diversion.
The OSS started legal proceedings, and after initial resistance the council conceded that it had acted unlawfully in making the TTRO rather than dealing with the obstructions. In a consent order of the High Court it agreed that it has a duty to secure the removal of the obstructions and that it would take steps to do so within three months of the order. It will also pay the society's reasonable costs in bringing the action.
Helen Clayton, the OSS rights-of-way case officer, said: 'This is an excellent outcome. Too often local authorities try to evade their legal duties on rights of way by moving the path rather than the problem. This case gives a clear message to all local authorities that they must not abuse their powers to make TTROs, and must instead uphold the public's rights to use and enjoy the paths.'
Note 1: under section 130 of the Highways Act 1980 the highway authority (West Northamptonshire Council) has a statutory duty to assert the rights of the public to the use and enjoyment of the highway, and to keep highways clear of obstruction. Highways include public footpaths, and it is a criminal offence under section 137 of the Act to obstruct the highway.
Note 2: a TTRO is made under section 14(1) of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. The traffic authority (West Northamptonshire Council) can use one to restrict or prohibit the use of a road, including a footpath, temporarily for three purposes: works on or near the road, the likelihood of danger to the public, or litter clearing. A general assertion of 'public health and safety' is not a sufficient ground.
At the August 2025 parish council meeting Simon Parrish gave a short presentation on what an NDP is, what it means for the parish and how the next one could be approached. The presentation is here, with the conservation area map.
A Neighbourhood Development Plan (NDP) is the community's say in how the village changes over time. Instead of decisions being made only at district or county level, an NDP lets local people set out what kind of homes, green spaces and facilities they want, and just as importantly what they don't want. This matters in Staverton because the village is a Conservation Area, which means its historic character, old buildings and countryside setting are all protected. Having an NDP helps make sure that any new development fits in with the village, while still allowing for sensible growth in the future.
Applications were invited to fill two trustee vacancies on the Staverton Relief in Need Charity, to be filled at the parish council meeting on 2 September 2025.
The members of Staverton Parish Council after the May 2025 election.
Denise Blackmore (Chairperson), John Golding, Hugh Lindsay, Simon Parrish, Siân Thomas, Jon Granfield, Andrew Duncan and Tim Moriarty. The current councillors are listed in the Parish Council section of the home page.
All the documents mentioned or referred to at the 2025 Annual Parish Meeting, with the approved minutes of the 2024 meeting.
The activities and achievements of the Daventry and Rural Neighbourhood Teams, covering community engagement, crime prevention and work with local agencies. Questions can go to neighbourhoodteamdaventry@northants.pnn.police.uk.
The list of candidates for the parish council election on 1 May 2025.
West Northamptonshire Council's consultation letter on an application to divert public footpaths FD6, FD7 and FD16 in the parish.
Observations or questions were to go to Sarah Clarke at West Northamptonshire Council (sarah.clarke@westnorthants.gov.uk).
These posts and documents were published by Staverton Parish Council and copied here from the council's previous website in November 2026. Meeting agendas and minutes are on the meetings page, and the council's accounts and policies on the transparency page. For anything else, please contact the parish clerk.