Bracknell Forest Council may once again own its social housing after council leader Helen Purnell asked officers to test whether bringing homes back under council control would be viable.
She told councillors: "The priority is that I have asked officers to assess the viability of the council once again owning their own social housing."
At the moment most social homes in Bracknell Forest are owned and managed by external providers, which limits the council's ability to directly tackle issues like energy efficiency and fuel poverty.
The move sits alongside wider thinking about councils taking a bigger role in development and infrastructure. Speakers at the meeting promoted an "infrastructure first" approach.
They argued councils should "own the problem" rather than just grant planning permission, and sometimes act as developers to make sure roads, drainage, cycleways and green spaces come first, with schools and GP surgeries planned early.
Supporters say this can speed delivery and reduce local opposition to new housing by sorting services before homes are occupied.
The shift would reverse a long trend. Council housing once made up a big slice of the UK's stock but has declined as many homes moved to external providers.
In Bracknell Forest most council homes were transferred in 2008 after the authority said it could no longer afford upgrades. It estimated £312 million would be needed over 30 years to meet standards and carry out repairs, and cited financial pressures including annual payments to a central government fund.
At the time tenants voted on the transfer: around 70 per cent backed it on a turnout of more than 75 per cent, following promises of major investment and better maintenance.
Ted O'Neill, Local Democracy Reporter
