‘We feel completely conned’: Families say council has broken promise to return to new Northampton homes

Former residents of the Spring Boroughs estate say they feel “completely conned” by West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) after allegedly being denied the chance to return to newly built council houses.

Paige Fall and Aaron Shane were relocated when the St Mary’s Court and Berkeley House tower blocks, next to Sol Central, were demolished. They say they were told they could return once the redevelopment was complete. Now, they say that offer has been “quietly dropped”.

Paige, a 32-year-old mum, said: “We didn’t really have a choice to move out. We were forced out. And now they’re telling us we can’t move back because we’ve got a roof over our heads. That’s not the point. We were told we’d be offered the chance.

"We were told it would be a temporary move – and that we could come back. Now they’re saying because we’ve been housed elsewhere, we no longer qualify. That was never the deal.”

In an appeal sent to WNC, Paige said she believed her application for one of the new homes in Castle Street had no real chance of success.

She wrote: “This application seems to be set up to fail. No one will be able to move back as they are already housed and won't qualify – even though we were all told we’d be able to return.

“These homes were closer to my work, to schools, and easier for us to live our daily lives. It was an inconvenience to move but we had no choice.”

Paige now lives in Kingsley with her partner and four children. She said they were told their current home was a three-year temporary placement. Her daughter, 16, is undergoing an ADHD assessment and needs her own space, and their son aged four, is still sharing a bedroom with his parents.

She said: “It just feels like the council has gone back on everything they said. We were told we’d be able to go back, but now it’s like none of that happened. I feel completely conned.”

Aaron, another former resident of the estate, said he had been left out of the loop.

The 31-year-old dad said: “I was told I’d get first refusal if I wanted to go back. But I’ve had no contact. I only found out the homes were available when I saw them listed on the bidding site.

“We did everything they asked. We moved out when they needed us to. Now we’re not even being considered. People have had their lives turned upside down by this.

“It’s not just about housing need. It’s about what we were promised. They’ve changed the rules.”

When asked about Paige and Aaron’s cases specifically, the council declined to comment, instead referring to a previous statement.

In the previous statement, a WNC spokesperson said: “The properties are now complete, and we are in the process of making letting arrangements. For those that are eligible, they have already been offered first refusal.

“Like many construction projects, this development did experience a delay due to contractual delivery and building safety checks outside of the council’s control.”

WNC has not provided the Chron with any details of the bidding process and how many former residents would be able to return.

However, in 2021 Northampton Partnership Homes, on behalf of West Northamptonshire Council, told the Chron: "Residents of St Mary’s Court and Berkeley House have all been rehoused however those who have opted to do so, can return to one of the new homes that meets their needs."