Floods, droughts, soil erosion and crop damage in Northamptonshire are already happening, yet Reform 2025 Ltd has scrapped climate change policies. Since Reform UK took control of both Northamptonshire councils, it has diverged in its methods but maintained a common goal of dismantling strategic climate commitments.
Since 2021 Northamptonshire has been administered by two unitary authorities: North Northamptonshire Council (NNC) and West Northamptonshire Council (WNC). Both councils were led by Conservative administrations until the elections in May 2025 when Reform UK Ltd took control of both. In NNC Reform UK won 40 of the 66 council seats, while in WNC Reform won 42 of 76 seats.
The climate reality in Northamptonshire
The combined effects of storms Babet and Henk in 2023-24 delivered a month’s worth of rain in 24 hours and caused the “wettest ever winter on record.” A major incident was declared in Northamptonshire in 2024 due to flooding caused by Storm Bert. Around 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes and numerous roads were closed across the county.
As predicted by climate scientists, Northamptonshire is seeing drier summers as well as wetter winters. Droughts are happening more quickly and becoming more intense. When combined with frequent winter floods, this leads to soil damage and erosion, reduced crop yields, and impacts on livestock grazing and biodiversity.
In 2021 both Conservative-led councils declared a climate change emergency, citing existing and future impacts of climate change on the area, including increased flooding, sewage spills, drought, heatwaves and biodiversity loss.
The national policy of Reform UK is to “…scrap Net Zero to cut bills and restore growth.” Following the May 2025 elections, both Reform administrations in Northamptonshire wasted little time in dismantling or delaying the previous ambitious climate change and Net Zero commitments.
While both Reform UK-led councils have the same objective in scrapping Net Zero commitments, their approach differs, with WNC adopting a more confrontational approach compared to NNC.
The West stamps out Net Zero
The first-ever meeting of the new Reform UK WNC in June 2025 was disrupted by climate change protestors who filled the public gallery.
One of the 1,000 Voices campaigners, Tina Matthew, speaking to the new cabinet members, said : “You are being directed to not care about the very things central to the lives of your children. The climate crisis is real, it’s human made and the evidence is unequivocal. Northamptonshire is affected by floods, failing crops and extreme weather events. Take positive action, stop denying or ignoring facts.”
In August 2025 WNC formally scrapped its targets to be (i) Net Zero in its council operations by 2030, and (ii) to be Net Zero for residents and businesses by 2045.
Cllr Mark Arnull, Reform UK Leader of WNC, said: “…we will now move forward with the removal of these targets and refocus our sustainability efforts for the benefit of residents.”
The council has now set about removing all references to Net Zero and climate change from their strategies, website and documents. This is despite the council having received millions in grant funding for Net Zero related projects, including home energy improvements, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and a fleet of electric buses.
North delays climate targets
Cries of ‘shame on you’ were heard from the public gallery when, in September 2025, the Reform UK NNC pushed back its Net Zero target by two decades from 2030 to 2050.
Addressing the council chamber at the time, leader of the local Green Party, Cllr Emily Fedorowycz said: “… every party except Reform recognised the risks of moving these goalposts. Net Zero is an opportunity for North Northants for lower bills, stronger businesses, better jobs, transport and investment in homes… the evidence is clear – councils with ambitious targets have secured millions of government funding. You each have a responsibility today to not do what is right by your party, but to do what is right by your people.”
The Sustainable Communities Executive Advisory Panel was established by the former Conservative administration to support the creation of climate change policies and drive forward the climate change emergency declaration of 2021. The Reform UK administration scrapped this panel in the same month it was elected.
This effectively reduced the institutional capacity and strategic focus previously dedicated to accelerated decarbonisation.
What of Net Zero in Northamptonshire?
The two councils know their decisions to pull back from Net Zero will be damaging. In a report presented to NNC’s Place and Environment Scrutiny Committee in early September, prior to the decisions being made, they were told the changes would “leave them exposed to fluctuations in energy costs and with an ageing building, vehicles and technology portfolio that will be more expensive to run.” The same source went on to state: “It could also put the authority’s ability to meet national Net Zero targets by 2050 at risk, put off investment from lucrative clean energy industries, and set a poor example to residents.”
According to the UK Government, “devolved and local government play an essential role in meeting national net zero ambitions” because it “is best placed to integrate activity on the ground” and to inspire “action by local businesses, communities, and civil society.”
While the UK Government’s target remains to be Net Zero by 2050, it is not clear how either of the two Northamptonshire councils now intend to achieve this goal, given the lack of priority, political will, leadership, strategy, plans and funding all evident under Reform UK.
Man-made climate change is real and accelerating, and Northamptonshire is already seeing the damaging consequences. The people of Northamptonshire will ultimately pay the price for this Reform UK negligence and science denial – but they can limit the damage by using their vote at the ballot box.
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