North Northamptonshire Council has agreed to establish a working group with campaigners to investigate where toxic waste from Corby's former steelworks might be buried.
The Reform UK-controlled authority will collaborate with lead campaigner Alison Gaffney to examine public health concerns that have troubled the town for decades.
Families have long suspected that the steelworks closure in the 1980s is connected to childhood cancers and birth defects in the area.
The council says it will review all available data about contamination and explore opportunities for investigating potential waste disposal sites.
This marks a significant shift in approach for the authority.
Ms Gaffney's campaign began after her son was diagnosed with a rare form of blood cancer when he was just 17 months old. He has since recovered.
She went on to gather information about 130 childhood cancer cases dating back to 1988.
Dozens of families believe the clearing of Corby's steelworks is behind these health problems. More than 30 families think steelwork waste underground continues to cause birth defects and childhood cancers.
A former steelworks in Corby could be leading to an increase in childhood cancer
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"It's been hard. We have been fighting and fighting. It's been soul-destroying when all you are trying to do is the right thing," Ms Gaffney told ITV News Anglia.
The council has pledged "full transparency" over this historic issue. Ms Gaffney and her husband Andy Hinde met with council leaders to discuss their concerns.
"We are encouraged by their pledge to listen and learn from our experiences in an effort to get to the bottom of this troubling issue," the couple said.
They want to work with the council "on the steps required to identify all sites of concern and to ensure appropriate testing takes place and the results are made public".
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The Corby Steelworks shut down in the 1980s
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"Their attitude demonstrates a major step forward for both residents and the Council. It is a significant show of unity and commitment," they added.
"In this spirit, we look forward to working with them on the steps required to identify all sites of concern and to ensure appropriate testing takes place and the results are made public.
"After all, it is in all our interests that current residents and future generations are kept safe. The Council’s commitment will be of great relief and reassurance to us all."
Council leader Martin Griffiths said: "Everyone at the meeting agreed it marked the start of the parties' commitment to work together in an open, positive and constructive way for the benefit of Corby residents."
The town's toxic waste scandal was dramatised in the Netflix series "Toxic Town", released earlier this year.
In 1999, a High Court judge found Corby Borough Council had been negligent in managing toxic waste between 1985 and 1997.
After the steelworks closed in the 1980s, debris and waste were transported in open-top lorries, allowing toxic dust to blow through the town.
Eighteen families who believed this dust caused birth defects in babies born between 1989 and 1999 received compensation after winning a High Court case against Corby Borough Council in 2009.
Labour MP Lee Barron and Health Secretary Wes Streeting have called for greater transparency on the issue.
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