Council's plan to bring social housing in Northampton back in house takes step forward as cabinet approves consultation
A plan to bring social housing in Northampton back under the control of the council has taken a step forward, as cabinet has voted to begin consultations.
West Northamptonshire Council’s (WNC) cabinet discussed the proposals to take back the management of 11,500 social housing homes at a meeting on Tuesday June 24.
Cabinet members voted to approve the move and to begin consultations, including with tenants, leaseholders, and other stakeholders.
The council says it will follow a phased approach to the transfer with a “robust implementation plan to be developed and implemented” over the next two years.
Councillor Charlie Hastie, Cabinet Member for Housing, said “This decision is about ensuring that our residents receive the best possible housing service – one that is safe, responsive, and accountable. By bringing this provision back in-house, we can simplify governance, strengthen compliance, and have greater control over quality while also providing tenants with the best value for money.
“There are significant opportunities to join-up services across West Northants to ensure the coordinated delivery of strategic objectives and to optimise outcomes for residents. Most importantly, we will be working closely with tenants and leaseholders to make sure their voices help shape the future of housing in West Northants.”
A full independent consultation with tenants and stakeholders will be launched next month. According to the council, the consultation will “help shape the final decision on the future of the service”.
The decision to take back the management of social housing comes after a series of failings at Northampton Partnership Homes (NPH) – which has run the council’s housing stock since 2015 – were found by the Regulator of Social Housing. A judgement suggested “serious failings” and the need for “significant improvement”.
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. NPH was contacted for comment at the time, but did not respond.
WNC says the move is also in light of new regulatory requirements under the Social Housing (Regulation) Act 2023, which place greater accountability on local authorities for the management of their housing stock, even where this is delivered by an external organisation.