Your monthly news update from Northamptonshire County Council*
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/ Free lunch at school
Reception, year 1 & year 2 students now get lunch for free. See if you can order online.
. / / Win a GoPro Camera!
Just use #20millionsteps when posting a photo from a walk on Twitter or Instagram. What’s 20 million steps?
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/ Room for me?
Have you got room in your home and room in your life to foster?
. / / Get a concessionary Bus Pass online
Apply for or renew a concessionary bus pass online 24/7.
/ Northampton road works to prepare town for economic growth
Roadworks are taking place across Northampton this autumn as part of a multi-million pound investment in the town’s infrastructure to lay the foundations for further economic growth.
Disruption to travel
Motorists are being warned in advance that disruption to travel is inevitable with so much work taking place on so many of the major routes in and around the county town.
The works fall into two categories:
  • Infrastructure projects which will increase capacity on the existing network and help unlock economic growth and create jobs.
  • Schemes enhancing the town centre, making it a more pleasant place as well as a more attractive town in which to invest.
We have worked with partners to stagger the works as much as possible but as the funding for the projects has come from a variety of sources, there are date limits as to when some of the work can take place.
Traffic management programmes are still being finalised but working seven days a week on some of the projects is being considered to minimise the overall timeline for disruption.
Areas designated for work include:
  • Victoria Promenade/Bedford Road
  • Towcester Road/Gas Street roundabout near Waterside Enterprise Zone
  • Round Spinney Roundabout
  • Spencer Bridge Road
  • St Gregory’s roundabout
  • Abington Street
  • Guildhall Road
  • Read further details of scheduled works

/ Back to School
Don’t worry kids, your time isn’t quite up yet.
If mum and dad are counting down the days and getting you ready to go back to school this September, they’ll find everything they need on our website, from term dates and bus timetables, to how to order school meals online.
  • Visit the Back to School section

/ 21,800+ homes and businesses now have access to superfast broadband
More than 21,800 homes and businesses in the county can now get faster fibre broadband as the multi-million pound Superfast Northamptonshire project continues at pace bringing the high-speed technology to more communities.
Which areas have benefitted?
The latest areas to benefit from the programme include parts of Aldwincle, Barnwell, Cotton, Denford, Mawsley Village, Northampton, Oundle, Stoke Doyle, Thorpe Waterville, Thrapston and Woodford. Fifteen roadside fibre broadband cabinets in these communities have just ‘gone live’.
The first stage of the project, which we led in partnership with BT, builds on the private sector’s commercial roll-out of fibre broadband to make the high-speed technology available to about 90 per cent of homes and businesses in the county by the end of 2015. Over 56,000 homes and businesses will have access to fibre-based broadband as a result of this first stage of the project.
Without public investment from the county council and the Government’s Broadband Delivery UK (BDUK) programme as well as private investment from BT, it would not be commercially viable to make faster fibre broadband available in these communities. Public sector intervention is critical to ensure more people can benefit from access to faster broadband.
What's the ultimate aim of the project?
The ultimate aim goes beyond the Government’s nationwide 95 per cent coverage target and intends to secure countywide access to superfast broadband by the end of 2017.
How can I access superfast broadband?
The new network is available on an open wholesale basis to all internet service providers, ensuring competitive pricing and products for all local households and businesses.
To access the high-speed broadband network, people and companies in the upgraded areas should contact their chosen Internet Service Provider and enquire about a fast fibre connection.
  • Find out more about superfast broadband

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/ Summer Holiday Activities – Keep the kids busy before they head back to school this September. There are lots of family events happening across the county in libraries, country parks, and at our outdoor learning centres.
/ What do you think of your pharmacy? – Please take a moment to complete our consultation on community pharmacy services available in Northamptonshire.
/ 5-7 Sept – 20 Million Steps – We're challenging Northamptonshire to work together on 5, 6 and 7 September 2014 to reach a target of 20 million steps. Let’s improve our health, lose some weight and most importantly...have some fun!
/ Find hundreds of events anytime in our new Events Calendar
Get news as it happens!
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