West Northamptonshire Council has launched a public consultation on its Draft 2026 Housing Allocation Policy for the West Northamptonshire unitary area — covering Daventry, Northampton and South Northamptonshire. The consultation went live in early February 2026 and invites residents, landlords and housing applicants to comment on proposed changes to who is prioritised for council housing across the area.
The council says demand for social housing has risen sharply: applications have increased from an average of about 335 a month in 2023–24 to around 700 a month in early 2026. WNC also states the combined number of live and pending applications now exceeds 5,000 households, creating a backlog that the authority says it cannot meet with current stock levels.
The draft policy proposes tougher eligibility rules to focus support on the most vulnerable. Measures include a stricter local-connection test, revisions to banding and tightened income/asset thresholds. Under the proposals, some applicants assessed as having lower priority — and therefore a low chance of being allocated a council home — could be removed from the main register and offered targeted support to pursue alternatives such as private renting, mutual exchanges or low-cost home ownership schemes.
West Northamptonshire Council is asking for feedback through its consultation hub on the council website. The consultation is open until midnight on Sunday 22 February 2026. The council says it aims to have a final scheme ready for implementation by April 2026.
