Cabinet budget session recommends free car parking to stay at Daventry, Brackley and Towcester
16 February 2026
Free parking will stay across Daventry, Brackley and Towcester under West Northamptonshire Council’s final 2026/27 budget proposals unveiled tonight.
At their meeting this evening (Monday, 16 February), Cabinet Members recommended that Full Council remove plans within the draft budget to introduce parking charges in the three market towns, having listened to feedback from residents in a record public consultation response. More than 3,000 responses were received, the highest level of engagement on a budget consultation to date, which was further strengthened through the Council’s first online Budget Question Time last month.
WNC had been considering introducing parking charges to the three towns as part of a range of fees and charges proposals for its 2026/27 budget-setting process, the toughest the authority has faced to date. Like councils across the country, WNC continues to face rising costs and growing demand for services, particularly in adult social care and children’s services, beginning the budget process earlier this year with an anticipated £50 million shortfall for 2026/27.
At the meeting, WNC’s Cabinet recommended to Full Council a final draft budget of £1024.4m (£464.3m excluding the Dedicated Schools Grant), including an average Band D Council Tax of £1,959.40, representing an average increase of 4.95%. It also recommended the proposed fees and charges, subject to the removal of the introduction of car parking charges for Daventry, Towcester and Brackley – this will instead be bridged by base budget contingency.
Councillor Mark Arnull, Leader of West Northamptonshire Council, said: “We have always been open and honest about the challenges we’ve faced with this budget - the toughest our Council has ever faced - and how essential the views of residents would be in shaping our final proposals. Listening to our residents is a top priority for our Administration and it was important we reflected on the initial feedback we received.
“Having now considered a record 3,000 responses, the strength of feeling around introducing parking charges in Daventry, Brackley and Towcester was very clear so we have listened to our residents on this important issue.
“These draft proposals were never set in stone and always on the table to be shaped further by residents so I’m pleased that the significant engagement and feedback we’ve received has helped us to do this. I would like to thank everyone who took time to take part.”
Councillor John Slope, WNC’s Cabinet Member for Finance, added: “We’ve looked at our financial pressures from every angle, and left no stone unturned in our work to address our challenges with a draft final budget that delivers financial stability and substantial efficiencies whilst reflecting consultation feedback.
“Having always been prudent in our financial forecasting and now receiving the full details of our government funding settlement, we have been able to
review the draft proposals in line with residents feedback, such as removing the parking proposals for our market towns, reducing the proposed increases in council tax. We hope Full Council will be supportive our of final budget recommendations tonight when they meet next week.”
West Northamptonshire Council’s budget-setting meeting will take place in The Guildhall, Northampton next Thursday, 26 February from 5pm. The agenda will be available closer to the time of the meeting on the WNC website