The 79th Northants CALC Annual Conference and AGM took place at Moulton Community Centre on Saturday 3 October 2026. Nearly 130 attendees enjoyed a morning of presentations, discussion, business, and meeting exhibitors.
Plan or Be Planned: Neil Homer Challenges Councils to Take Control of Their Future
The first guest speaker at the 79th Annual Conference & AGM was Neil Homer, founder and Planning Director of ONH Planning for Good, who delivered a thought-provoking presentation entitled Plan or Be Planned. Drawing on extensive experience supporting parish and town councils across England, Neil explored how recent changes to the planning system are increasing the importance of proactive local leadership.
Neil explained that the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), the introduction of National Development Management Policies, and changes to delegated decision-making are reshaping how planning decisions are made. He cautioned that parish and town councils will need to ensure that representations on planning applications are evidence-based and well argued, as opportunities to influence decisions later in the process may become more limited.
A key theme of the presentation was that communities often object to development not because they oppose new homes, but because infrastructure such as roads, schools, health services, and community facilities frequently fail to keep pace with growth. Neil argued that councils achieve better outcomes when they focus on shaping development and securing infrastructure improvements, rather than simply reacting to planning applications.
Neil highlighted the continuing value of Neighbourhood Plans, stressing that they remain an important part of the planning system and can now be more focused, quicker to produce, and less expensive than in the past. He also introduced ONH's Settlement Spatial Plan approach, which helps communities explore different possible futures for their area and develop stronger evidence for influencing Local Plans and major planning applications.
Using examples from Bloxham in Oxfordshire and the WWATCH partnership of councils in Buckinghamshire, Neil demonstrated how communities can successfully influence the location and form of development by engaging strategically and planning ahead. His central message was simple but powerful: councils that actively plan for their future are far more likely to shape growth on their own terms than those that wait for decisions to be made by others.
Planning Reform, Local Plans and the Future of Growth in Northamptonshire
After a refreshments break, delegates heard planning updates from Simon Richardson, Head of Policy & Placemaking at North Northamptonshire Council, and Stuart Timmiss, Executive Director of Place, Economy and Environment at West Northamptonshire Council. Together, the presentations provided a valuable overview of how recent national planning reforms are affecting both unitary authorities and what the changes mean for parish and town councils.
Simon Richardson outlined the implications of the new National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), including the introduction of National Decision-Making Policies, a new emphasis on plan-making within a 30‑month timetable, and a continued Government focus on housing delivery and economic growth. He explained that authorities without an up-to-date Local Plan face increasing pressure from national policy and speculative development proposals, making progress on the emerging North Northamptonshire Local Plan particularly important.
Simon also discussed North Northamptonshire's current housing land supply position, explaining that the authority is presently below the five-year requirement and is working to increase delivery through a combination of additional permissions, evidence gathering, and support for smaller and medium-sized development sites. He reiterated the council's support for neighbourhood planning and outlined plans for future engagement with parish and town councils as work on the new Local Plan progresses.
Joining remotely via Microsoft Teams, Stuart Timmiss provided an update on the West Northamptonshire Local Plan. He explained that although councillors had initially voted to start afresh under the new planning system, a Ministerial Direction requires the council to continue with the current plan and submit it for examination by 31 December 2026. Stuart highlighted a number of amendments made following consultation, including the removal of the proposed allocation at Collingtree Golf Course, the removal of employment development at Furtho Pit, and reductions in rural housing requirements.
Stuart also outlined West Northamptonshire Council's Planning Transformation Programme, which aims to improve planning performance, communications, enforcement, Section 106 administration, and digital working. Delegates heard how the council is exploring the use of AI and digital tools to speed up application processing and make planning information more accessible, while continuing to emphasise the importance of direct engagement with communities.
The subsequent question-and-answer session covered a wide range of issues, including housing land supply, enforcement, logistics and warehousing development, neighbourhood plans, infrastructure provision, and the adoption of roads and public spaces on new housing developments. Both speakers acknowledged the challenges facing local authorities and stressed the importance of maintaining constructive dialogue with parish and town councils as Northamptonshire adapts to a rapidly evolving planning system.
The conference concluded with a celebration of achievement across the Northamptonshire parish and town council sector. The Jeffrey Greenwell Council of the Year Award was presented to Chelveston-cum-Caldecott Parish Council in recognition of its strong governance, community leadership, and wide-ranging programme of work. Delegates also recognised the achievements of clerks who had completed the Certificate in Local Council Administration (CiLCA), councils that had achieved Local Council Award Scheme (LCAS) accreditation, councillors who had completed stages of the Councillor Development Framework, and officers who had reached milestones within the Officer Development Framework. The awards reflected the continuing commitment of councils, councillors, and clerks across Northamptonshire to professional development, good governance, and service to their communities. The conference concluded with the annual prize draw, which was won by Collingtree Parish Council, before thanks were extended to sponsors, exhibitors, delegates, Moulton Parish Council for hosting the event, and the Northants CALC staff team for organising the conference.
The 80th Annual Conference & AGM will take place on 2 October 2027 at the University of Northampton.
Papers & Presentations
79th Annual Conference - Delegate Information
79th Annual Conference - Annual Conference Programme
79th Annual Conference - Appointment of Auditor
79th Annual Conference - Director Appointments
79th Annual Conference - Membership Subscription 2027/28
79th Annual Conference - Annual Report YE 31st March 2026
79th Annual Conference - 2025 AGM Minutes
79th Annual Conference - 2026 AGM Minutes
Presentation - O'Neil Homer: Plan or Be Planned
Presentation - Simon Richardson NNC
Presentation - Stuart Timmiss WNC
