Tenants show support for future social housing proposals in West Northants

16 October 2025

Nearly 2,700 people have given their views on the future management of social housing services in West Northamptonshire.

Around 60 per cent of tenants who responded to the recent major consultation supported plans to transfer services currently managed by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) back to West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) control.

The feedback, which will be presented at a meeting of WNC’s Children, Education and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Committee next week (Monday 20 October), showed less than 10 per cent of those who responded to the consultation were opposed to the plans and 30 per cent undecided. Importantly, 93 per cent of respondents understood that a transfer would not affect their tenancy agreements, rent payments or other existing arrangements.

The total number of tenants who took part in the consultation this summer represents around 22 per cent of those living in the 11,500 homes owned by WNC and managed by NPH, an Arm’s Length Management Organisation (ALMO) set up in 2015.

Following national legislative changes and updated regulatory standards for social housing, many councils have chosen to bring services back in-house to strengthen oversight and achieve closer alignment between housing and wider Council services.

The proposed transfer aims to deliver an improved customer experience, giving tenants a true ‘one stop shop’ for all Council services and stronger assurance around building safety and compliance, while ensuring more resources are directed towards property improvements and tenant support.

Following Scrutiny’s consideration next week, the findings from the consultation and future options will be presented to WNC’s Cabinet in November, where the final decision on the future management of housing services will be made. If agreed, this will then require Secretary of State approval.

“This consultation has given tenants, leaseholders, and the wider public a real voice in shaping the future of housing services in West Northamptonshire.

“It’s very encouraging to see that the majority of residents support bringing these services back under direct Council control, recognising the benefits of closer oversight and integration with our wider housing and community priorities. Next week’s scrutiny meeting is an important opportunity to review the feedback in detail before Cabinet considers the final decision next month.”Cllr Mark Arnull, Leader of WNC

If approved, detailed implementation planning is already underway to ensure a smooth transition for tenants, leaseholders, and staff, with a potential phased approach to service transfer between now and April 2027.