Council to discuss bringing social housing back in house after failures at Northampton Partnership Homes
Around 11,500 social housing homes in Northampton could be brought back under the control of the council, after a series of failures were uncovered at Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH).
West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) cabinet will discuss next Tuesday (June 24) whether to bring management of social housing in Northampton back in-house, as one of three options being presented for the future of the houses currently being managed by housing provider NPH.
In November 2024, a judgement was published by the Regulator of Social Housing, which graded NPH as C3, which is the second worst rating available and suggests “serious failings” and the need for “significant improvement”. NPH was contacted for comment at the time, but did not respond.
The inspection came about after West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) referred itself to the regulator in September 2024, after a review process found that NPH was not managing and maintaining properties in line with safety and quality standards, including a lack of safety inspections. Read more about the specific failures here.
NPH was first set up in 2015 by the former Northampton Borough Council for an initial period of 15 years and is responsible for repairs and maintenance, housing development, housing management - including dealing with anti-social behaviour, tenancy support and tenant involvement, and Ecton Lane Park traveller site.
Now, the council is looking at the possibility to take back the management of the housing stock in a bid to “strengthen accountability, transparency, compliance”.
A WNC spokesman said: “Cabinet will review a recommendation to begin consultation with tenants, leaseholders, and other stakeholders on the potential options for the future management of social housing. The proposal follows a comprehensive options appraisal and seeks to strengthen accountability, transparency, compliance, integration and service quality for tenants in line with new responsibilities under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023.
“Many councils across the country are opting to bring ALMO services back in-house to achieve greater accountability and direct control of housing delivery and quality. The council is now also exploring whether taking direct control of its housing stock would enhance service delivery, ensure consistently high-quality housing across all areas and tenures, and better support residents in accessing homes that meet their needs at every stage of life.”
Councillor Charlie Hastie, Cabinet Member for Housing, added: “This is a significant decision that would allow us to simplify governance, deliver better value for money, and most importantly, ensure our residents continue to receive a safe, responsive and accountable housing service. Should cabinet agree, we will begin a full consultation to hear directly from tenants and leaseholders about what matters most to them.”
The report proposes a phased transfer approach, providing time to develop a clear implementation plan and consult with residents before any final decision is made. If approved, the council will begin a wide-ranging engagement process this summer, with further updates provided throughout the transition period.
WNC’s cabinet will meet next Tuesday (June 24) at 6pm in The Forum, Moat Lane, Towcester and can also be watched live on the council’s YouTube channel.