"Why?": New council flats in Northampton remain empty and fenced off, seven months after construction was finished
New council flats in Northampton remain empty and fenced off, seven months after construction was finished.
The flats in New Southbridge Road, Far Cotton, known as Trenery House, are Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) properties. NPH is the council’s arms-length organisation responsible for managing and maintaining social housing.
The development includes 28 one- and two-bedroom apartments near the University of Northampton’s Waterside Campus.
Plans for the four-storey block were first revealed in 2021. Construction was completed in March 2025, after missing the December 2024 deadline previously confirmed by NPH.
However, it is now October and the flats are still vacant and fenced off, leading to one resident asking: why?
The resident said: “With so many families waiting for a permanent home, I ask myself why the flats are still standing vacant seven months after completion.
“There are a lot of young families living in temporary accommodation when there are new blocks of flats remaining empty. You have to ask the question: why?”
An NPH spokeswoman responded saying the flats are now ready for people to move in, but did not explain why it has taken seven months to get here to that point.
The spokeswoman said: “We’re pleased to confirm the new apartments are now ready for occupation after the final completion of works and handover of keys has taken place.
“Eligible people on the social housing register have started to bid on the apartments. We will begin allocating residents to the new homes this week and look forward to welcoming them into the community.”
The spokeswoman added: “As part of our commitment to maintaining the grounds of the new building, the shrubbery in the immediate vicinity of the development will be included in our three-monthly inspection schedule.”
Funding for the Southbridge Road development came through the Brownfield Land Release Fund, aimed at using council-owned sites for housing and covering remedial work.
In November 2024, a judgement was published by the Regulator of Social Housing, which graded NPH as C3, the second worst rating available, suggesting “serious failings” and the need for “significant improvement”. NPH was contacted for comment at the time but did not respond.
The inspection came after West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) referred itself to the regulator in September 2024, following a review that found NPH was not managing and maintaining properties in line with safety and quality standards, including a lack of safety inspections.