Northamptonshire
Main towns: The county town is Northampton. Other important towns are Kettering, Corby, Wellingborough, Rushden and Daventry.
Demographics: In the heart of England, the county is part of the East Midlands region. It features a diverse mix of urban and rural areas, which includes Northampton Borough. This is by some way the largest urban centre, with 30 per cent of the total population.
There are seven borough and district councils in the county: Northampton, Corby, Daventry, Kettering, Wellingborough, South Northamptonshire and East Northamptonshire.
Northamptonshire's population has expanded significantly over recent decades
and this trend is set to continue and accelerate.
The county is a key part of the Milton Keynes and South Midlands growth area and it is planned that this will result in building 99,500 new homes in the area and a target of 81,000 new jobs.
About 92 per cent of the population is white with the remaining eight per cent from a number of different ethnic minority communities.
Higher proportions of ethnic minority communities live in the urban centres of Northampton and Wellingborough, with most other areas being predominantly white. The county population is relatively young with an above average number of children and young people.
The local economy is buoyant with local unemployment below the national average at 1.8 per cent.
Deprivation is low, but this masks large differences between districts. Nationally out of 354 districts Corby is the 74th most deprived and South Northamptonshire one of the most affluent with a ranking of 344th.
Crime and disorder are key concerns for local people. During 2004/05 almost all types of recorded crime were in the worst performing quartile, although improvements have followed.
Population: Northamptonshire has a population of 678,200, covering an area of 236,900 Hectares.The population is projected to grow by a further 27 per cent by 2021.
Places of Interest: The county is perhaps most famous for two major canals – the Oxford and the Grand Union - and the River Nene.
A flight of 17 locks sit on the Grand Union at Rothersthorpe. There is a canal museum at Stoke Bruerne, and a tunnel at Blisworth. At 3076 yards, it is the third-longest navigable canal tunnel on the UK canal network.
A branch of the Grand Union Canal connects to the River Nene.
The Nene valley includes several popular caravan and camping parks.
At Doddington Lock No 11 is nearby Hardwater Watermill. This famous watermill, mentioned in the Domesday Book, has been used to ground wheat into flour for almost 1,000 years.
House/Flat Prices: The average property price in Northamptonshire today is £156,400. The average price five years ago, in 2004, was £142,000.
Planning issues: Plans have been submitted for redevelopment of the St Edmunds Hospital Site on Wellingborough Road, Northampton.
The submission follows 12 months of discussion with officers of both West Northamptonshire Development Corporation (WNDC) and Northampton Borough Council.
The development includes a mixed-use scheme with 29 business units; a retirement village with 110 units, a specialist care facility and a retail/office/restaurant unit on the western frontage of the site.