Cabinet approves plans to seek public's views on social housing allocations in West Northants

Plans to consult the public on the way social housing is allocated in West Northants have been approved by Councillors at West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) Cabinet meeting last night (11 July).

The 10-week consultation will run from Monday (17 July) up until midnight on Sunday, 24 September, and will invite people to have their say on the new draft Housing Allocation Scheme, which is due to be put in place from spring next year.

The new scheme will replace the three existing housing allocation schemes that operate in West Northamptonshire covering the Daventry, South Northants, and Northampton areas. The existing policies operate in different ways to each other, therefore introducing a West Northamptonshire Housing Allocation Scheme will harmonise these differences, making it fairer, clearer and more consistent across the West Northamptonshire area.

All responses will be considered and will help to shape a final version of the scheme which will then be considered by West Northamptonshire Council’s Cabinet this autumn.

The new draft housing allocation scheme sets out proposals for who would be eligible and could apply for social housing across the whole of West Northamptonshire, along with how the Council processes applications, assesses and manages people’s housing needs, and determines who should have priority for social housing.

Plans include expanding the Choice Based Lettings approach to allocating social housing across the whole West Northants area, which is already used in the Daventry and Northampton areas. Choice based lettings allows applicants to register an interest in properties they prefer that are suitable for their household size.

Cllr Adam Brown, Deputy Leader of WNC and Cabinet Member for Housing, Culture and Leisure, said: “It is important we review our policies to ensure they are up to date, relevant and best suit the needs of residents across the entire West Northamptonshire area.

“The new draft policy recognises the commitment of WNC to ensure that we provide the best possible service for residents, therefore we are inviting them to share their views and help us to shape a scheme which is efficient and fair for everyone.

“I encourage residents, tenants and stakeholders to take part in the consultation when it launches next week and have their say on these proposals.”

The draft proposals and online questionnaire will be available in the WNC Consultation Hub from Monday, 17 July.