West Northamptonshire Council edges closer to bringing 11,500-home ALMO in-house

West Northamptonshire Council looks set to take direct control of social housing management after a consultation showed support for the plan.

The Reform-run council is the local authority registered provider of around 11,500 social homes, but most of its landlord functions are provided by an arm’s length management organisation (ALMO).

In June, the local authority’s cabinet made a ‘minded to’ decision on taking the ALMO, known as Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH), back in house. This followed the council being handed a non-compliant C3 grade by the Regulator of Social Housing last November after finding serious failings in its housing management service.

A tenant consultation followed, which ran for eight weeks and received 2,699 responses from tenants and leaseholders.

Documents released ahead of next Monday’s (20 October) children, education and housing overview and scrutiny committee, showed that less than 10% opposed the transfer, while 60% agreed and 30% were undecided.

The report said a business case for the transfer was underway, with cabinet meeting on 11 November to consider options and recommendations. 

If it decides to go ahead, it will need formal approval from the secretary of state.

The report, prepared by Jane Carr, the council’s director of communities and opportunities, explained that “changes to legislation mean it is less financially beneficial” to operate housing services through ALMOs.

She cited stronger consumer standards and a more proactive regulatory regime, which gives the council greater responsibility for compliance.

WNC self-referred to the Regulator of Social Housing in September 2024 after identifying an issue in relation to data quality and landlord health and safety compliance. It was given a C3 judgement for compliance, meaning serious failings were identified with significant improvement required.

NPH was created by Northampton Borough Council in 2015, with the latter outsourcing its housing management service under a 15-year agreements. 

>> Read more: Government to review governance of TMOs and ALMOs

Responsibility for NPH was transferred to WNC after a local government reorganisation in 2021. 

NPH has an independent board, around 350 staff and an annual budget of around £67m.

Since local elections in May, WNC has been controlled by Reform UK. 

Back in June, its new cabinet member for housing, Charlie Hastie, explained that the proposal to bring NPH’s work in-house was “about ensuring that our residents receive the best possible housing service”

“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,” he said.