Council mulls business case for social housing plan

Alliston Gardens, Northampton, is one of the properties managed by NPH

A council is considering a business case to bring the management of its 11,500 social homes back in-house.

It comes after a report last year found "serious failings" in how Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) adhered to home safety and quality standards.

The Reform UK-controlled cabinet on West Northamptonshire Council outlined an intention to bring social housing back in-house earlier this year and sought the opinions of tenants and leaseholders through a public consultation.

If a decision is made to bring NPH back in-house, the council will need formal approval from the secretary of state.

NPH is currently responsible for managing the properties in Northampton, providing various housing services including repairs, maintenance, tenancy management, and supporting vulnerable tenants.

It employs about 350 staff and has an annual budget of £67m, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

While the work required to meet these standards was delivered by NPH, the council was ultimately responsible for compliance and improving the safety and support for tenants.

'Reactive to proactive'

About 2,700 responses were received from tenants and leaseholders during the eight-week public consultation.

According to the council, 60% of respondents agreed with the transfer of landlord services to the council and fewer than 10% were opposed.

The authority said benefits to bringing the service back in-house included moving from being a "reactive to proactive" landlord, along with much increased enforcement powers, more opportunities for efficiencies so more money would be available for property improvements, and a more streamlined customer experience.

A scrutiny panel meeting will discuss the scheme's next steps on 20 October, before going in front of the council's cabinet in November.