Since April 2023, Somerset Council, which owns in excess of 10,000 homes, has operated via two models of housing management after bringing together the services of the former Sedgemoor and Somerset West and Taunton Councils, the only two district councils which owned housing stock.
The current housing management services are split, with circa 6,000 homes managed in-house by Somerset Council and circa 4,000 homes managed by Homes in Somerset, a not-for-profit arms-length management organisation (ALMO) wholly owned by Somerset Council.
In May this year, the council advised that it would be conducting an independent review, carried out by external consultants Savills, to identify how these services could be aligned, ensure consistency and deliver best value for money for all Somerset Council and Homes in Somerset customers in the future.
External consultants, Savills, were appointed to undertake this review – or Housing Options Appraisal. Stakeholder and customer engagement took place in the form of in-person meetings at local venues, online sessions and surveys to gather views and understand what really matters to our customers. More information about the Housing Options Appraisal is on our website.
Savills has now analysed the data collated and has put forward its recommendation for a single housing management model. This is a recommendation only.
The recommendation by Savills is for Homes in Somerset to be the single housing management service provider, with Somerset Council remaining the landlord. This recommendation is subject to formal decision by Somerset Council’s Executive Committee in March 2026.
Somerset Council’s Scrutiny Committee – Communities will review the work undertaken as part of the Housing Options Appraisal on 5 February 2026. If the Scrutiny Committee is satisfied with the work carried out, a recommendation will be made to the Somerset Council’s Executive Committee on 4 March 2026, where a final decision will be made.
Whatever the outcome, our customers’ rights will not be affected, and Somerset Council will remain their landlord. Our customers will continue to pay their rent to and remain a tenant of Somerset Council; their properties will continue to be repaired, maintained and invested in.
Next steps
We will update again once a decision has been reached. Please note that nothing will change immediately after the decision has been made. If the recommendation is approved, there will be a transition period of around 6 months