Latest news with #CharlieHastie
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Consultation opens for Northamptonshire temporary housing plans
A council has asked people living in a county to share their thoughts on plans to build new temporary accommodation. West Northamptonshire Council said it was preparing planning applications for temporary housing on two sites in Northampton. The plots near Edgar Mobbs Way, near Sixfields, and Birds Hill Walk, in Weston Favell, could create 108 temporary homes, the authority said. Charlie Hastie, Reform UK councillor and cabinet member for housing on the council, said: "This proposal allows us to create temporary accommodation which is better suited to people's needs and saves taxpayers' money." The authority said it has faced significant challenges in finding and funding short-term accommodation for people in West Northamptonshire. In June, the cabinet at the council voted in favour of bringing the management of social housing in-house after a number of "failings" with a property management were was the first major decision by the Reform UK-led council after the party took control of the authority in the local elections in May. Small communities The new proposal would see one and two-bedroom units which could help people while reducing costs, the authority said the new units would "create two small communities" as a starting point for "people to get back on their feet". One of the sites, Edgar Mobbs Way near Sixfields, is planned to have 14 one-bedroom and 56 two-bedroom homes. The other site, which is off Birds Hill Walk in Weston Favell, would see 38 two-bedroom sites are owned by the council who said the units would be stacked to create two floors to make use of the space. Each location would have a community hub building, laundry facilities, cycle and refuse story and a play area, alongside a site office for council support staff and out-of-hours security as added: "Nobody ever wants to find themselves and their family homeless, and if they do, they want the reassurance that someone can help solve the immediate worry of needing a roof over their head."They will have integrated local amenities, though the units can be moved elsewhere at any time, should the need arise."People in the nearby area were invited to look at the plans by the council before they were submitted. The exhibitions were set to take place on 9 July between 15:30 BST and 20:00 at Weston Favell parish Hall in Booth Lane South, and on 16 July between the same times at 1897 Suite at Sixfields Stadium. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
26-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Northamptonshire project for 418 affordable homes to deliver 82
Opposition councillors at West Northamptonshire Council have called for an inquiry after it emerged three affordable housing schemes would produce less than a fifth of the homes they were intended council's cabinet meeting was told 82 of the 418 predicted affordable homes for the Avenue Campus, Roof Gardens and Belgrave House projects in Northampton would be built at one of the UK's cabinet member for housing, Charlie Hastie, called it "reckless incompetence".The projects were being delivered by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH) but the unitary authority took over the running of all three sites last year under the then Conservative leadership. Hastie told the meeting NPH's performance concerns were "lack of skills, commercial acumen, technical errors and poor transparency... getting one's ambitions mixed up with their abilities basically to the point of almost reckless incompetence".A report in November 2024 highlighted similar issues with led to Homes England requesting West Northamptonshire Council withdraw its grant request totalling £17.3m split between the Avenue campus and Roof Gardens schemes. What is happening with the projects? The three housing projects were due to deliver more than 400 affordable Campus was due to create up to 170 homes. To date, £13.7m has been spent on the project and holding costs for the site are about £15,000 per month. It will now be sold off to a developerRoof Gardens in Spring Boroughs was due to deliver 126 affordable properties, but so far just 24 houses have been built and only a further 58 will be able to be built on the site. A total of 82 properties is the same amount that was previously on the siteBelgrave House is a large 1970s office block that had been identified as a scheme to create 122 key worker homes. £3.6m has been spent so far on it with a holding cost of £87,000 per year. The building is set to be demolished 'An absolute major scandal' Independent councillor Ian McCord called for a public inquiry into NPH, saying it "was a scandalous waste of taxpayers' money".Jonathan Harris, the Liberal Democrat group leader, said: "This entire issue is one unwholly costly mess."It does smell of gross incompetence and once we've resolved matters this council needs to take a step back and find out what has really gone on." The leader of the Labour group, Sally Keeble, said: "This is an absolute major scandal, and I agree with the other councillors who have called for an inquiry into it."I appreciate there is other work to be done but there are some serious, serious questions to be answered."The meeting was told these failures will have a continued impact on the authority's ability to provide future affordable Conservatives and Northamptonshire Partnership Homes have been contacted for comment. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
25-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
West Northamptonshire Council to bring social housing in-house
Social housing in Northampton will be brought back in-house after a number of "failings" were identified in the last couple of Northamptonshire Council's 11,500 homes were managed by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH).Charlie Hastie, cabinet member for housing, told a meeting on Tuesday: "Transparency, accountability and legal and safe is the overriding driving force of what we've got to do, and it has not been forthcoming [by NPH] in the last year or so."The cabinet voted in favour of bringing it in-house, and it was the first major decision by the Reform UK-led council after the party took control of the authority in the local elections in May. NPH is an arms-length management organisation (ALMO), first established by the now defunct Northampton Borough Council in 2015. It is responsible for repairs and maintenance, housing development and management, including dealing with anti-social behaviour, tenancy support and the Ecton Lane Park traveller council's housing stock included key estates in Kings Heath, Kingsthorpe, and Spring Boroughs in the town. It included high-rise blocks, a range of 1 to 6-bed properties and supported accommodation, 15 community hubs, older persons' accommodation and more than 2,000 year, the then Conservative-controlled West Northamptonshire Council announced it was taking "immediate steps" to address the "performance failings" of NPH. It also confirmed it had referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).The review by the RSH found some council-managed homes failed to meet national safety and quality the concerns in the report was inaccurate data reporting, including overdue fire risk assessments for 180 the local authority confirmed that all outstanding fire safety checks were completed by December 2024 'Safe, responsive and accountable' The cabinet discussed three options for the future management of homes in the group leader Sally Keeble told the cabinet meeting: "There's only one realistic option on the table about bringing it back in-house; however, I don't think that is remotely adequate to deal with the scale and the size of the problems."When you look at this option, there really does need to be a full options appraisal [of all the housing stock in West Northamptonshire]."The Conservative group leader, Dan Lister, said: "These aren't the only three options that have been presented before us, and there are significantly more options that we should be considering."Leader of the Liberal Democrat group, Jonathan Harris, said: "ALMO's an interesting term - arms-length - it feels to me like it's been a very very long arm."Hastie said bringing it in-house was to ensure residents received "the best possible housing service".He added: "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."The cabinet voted unanimously to bring it back in-house. The council will undertake a full consultation in July to hear directly from tenants and leaseholders. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Northants Council considers bringing social housing back in-house
A decision is set to be taken about whether to bring social housing in Northampton back Northamptonshire Council's cabinet meet on Tuesday to consider three options for the future management of homes in the town with councillors recommended to bring them back under direct Reform UK council's 11,500 homes are currently managed by Northamptonshire Partnership Homes (NPH).Charlie Hastie, cabinet member for housing at West Northamptonshire Council, said: "This is a significant decision that would allow us to simplify governance, deliver better value for money and, most importantly, ensure our residents continue to receive a safe, responsive and accountable housing service." 'Performance failings' NPH is an arms-length management organisation (ALMO), first established by the now defunct Northampton Borough Council in 2015. It is responsible for repairs and maintenance, housing development and management including dealing with anti-social behaviour, tenancy support and the Ecton Lane Park traveller year the then Conservative-controlled West Northamptonshire Council announced it was taking "immediate steps" to address the "performance failings" of NPH. It also confirmed it had referred itself to the Regulator of Social Housing (RSH).The review by the RSH found some council-managed homes failed to meet national safety and quality approved, the council will begin a full consultation over the summer to hear directly from tenants and leaseholdersAt the meeting on Tuesday, the cabinet will also be discussing three large affordable housing projects that were being delivered by NPH. All the projects have faced "significant viability challenges" and the council has already taken on responsibility for the delivery of these schemes. Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
