News

The keys to five new affordable homes in West Beckham have been handed over to families with a connection to the village and adjoining parishes – with five more due to be handed over.

At an onsite ceremony, Broadland Housing Association chair, Jenny Watson, and Cllr Wendy Fredericks, deputy leader of North Norfolk District Council and Portfolio Holder for Housing and People Services, handed over the keys to the first resident, Sarah MacDonald, who is moving into her new home with husband Stuart and two children, Maria and Aidan.

Affordable Homes

The Church Road site consists of one four-bedroom house, three three-bedroom houses and one two-bedroom house. They are in the style of a traditional farmhouse and converted barns, with a wildflower area and public open space being built onto the site.

A further four two-bedroom bungalows and a one-bedroom bungalow have been built at a second site on Sheringham Road in the village – these will be handed over within a few weeks time. 

All of the new homes, which are being made available for affordable rent, have been prioritised for people with connections to the village and adjoining parishes.

They will be built to a high environmental standard, with air source heat pumps, photovoltaic panels and electric charging points all contributing to a ‘B’ EPC rating.

Partnership Working

The project was made possible through a partnership between Broadland Housing Association, North Norfolk District Council, and Homes England, as part of a wider package of six Broadland Housing ‘local need exception housing’ schemes across North Norfolk district.

Additionally, the project received financial support from surpluses generated by Broadland St Benedicts – a subsidiary of Broadland Housing – which constructs and sells homes on the open market within the county and allocates 100% of its profits to fund the development of new affordable housing.

New Residents

Receiving the keys to her new home, Mrs MacDonald said,

We were blown away when we first saw this house, we couldn’t believe our luck. We are currently living in a cramped, damp house which is suffering from mould. 

The energy-efficiency side is massively important, because we have been really struggling where we are, where we have oil central heating.  It doesn’t matter how long you have the heating on for, it’s cold in the winter.  This house is well-insulated and will be much cheaper to run.

This new home is light, it’s airy, it’s spacious. We feel like we have won the lottery.”

Broadland Housing Association chair Jenny Watson said,

Homes are fundamental to everything we do in our lives, they make everything else possible. Proving homes for people is Broadland Housing’s enduring purpose, so I am really pleased that this new development is able to contribute to that.

This has been a real partnership effort.  I particularly want to think West Beckham Parish Council, which wanted to keep local families in the village; the whole village was really supportive all the way through the process.

I also want to thank North Norfolk District Council for finding the land on which we could build this.  We also couldn’t have got here without the grants from Homes England and the section 106 contributions from North Norfolk District Council.”

Cllr Wendy Fredericks added,

I was brought up in council housing, and I know how important it is to have somewhere affordable to live.

This is a stunning development. We know that Broadland tenants will always look after their houses because they are such high quality.”

The new homes were designed by CAM Architects and built by Smith of Honingham.

Enhancing Collaboration and Regional Influence: Independent East appoints Head of Independent East Partnership

Independent East is pleased to announce the appointment of Louise Hillier as Head of Independent East Partnership, a newly established role designed to represent and advance the collective interests of the regional alliance of five housing providers: Broadland Housing Association, Freebridge Community Housing, Havebury Housing Partnership, Orwell Housing Association and Saffron Housing Trust.

This appointment comes at a pivotal moment for our region, as Norfolk and Suffolk undergo structural changes in governance through devolution, local government reorganisation and the appointment of a mayor for the new Combined Authority.  Recognising the importance of a unified voice and coordinated strategy, the Chief Executives of Independent East have endorsed this role to promote, celebrate and identify further opportunities to collaborate and share intelligence and best practice. It is also imperative to work with our local authority colleagues during a time of change and prepare for devolution, helping to strengthen Independent East’s influence in regional decision-making.

Louise brings a wealth of experience to the position, having previously held roles at Eastlight Community Homes, Flagship Group, BuildEast, and Victory Housing Trust. Her deep understanding of the housing sector and commitment to regional development make her an ideal choice to drive forward Independent East’s strategic goals.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive said

I am pleased to welcome Louise to Independent East. Her appointment reflects our shared commitment to enhancing services for residents and supporting our local communities through deeper collaboration across our five associations, while preserving the independence and distinct strengths of each organisation.

Work has started on four new affordable homes at Shipfield, the first site Broadland built back in 1966!

Turning old, disused blocks of garages into 4 new 2 bedroom flats. The new homes are possible through funding from Norwich City Council, which has allocated capital from its Right to Buy sales receipts.

The new homes will have an electric vehicle charging point. Two of the new homes net zero carbon, whilst the other 2 will have an EPC rating of A.

Broadland’s Chair Jenny Watson said

This is a good example of taking every available opportunity to create much-needed new homes.  We have taken two under-used garage blocks and are building four new affordable homes. “Once again we are working in partnership with Norwich City Council to make these new homes possible – all part of our continuing drive to tackle homelessness.

Cllr Mike Stonard, leader of Norwich City Council, said:

We’re pleased to support this project using Right to Buy receipts to help meet local housing need. By working in partnership with Broadland Housing Association, we’re making the most of a small site to provide good-quality, affordable homes for people in Norwich. These new flats at Shipfield will replace outdated buildings and offer better housing options for residents now and in the future. 

It is expected that these new affordable homes will be completed in Spring 2026.

Thank you to everyone who entered this year’s gardening competition! The judging took place over 2 days, and we saw lots of gardens and outdoor spaces of all shapes and sizes, showcasing a fantastic array of different styles.

Lots of residents had used recycled materials in their gardens and had successfully grown flowers and vegetables from seed. The judges commented:

It was a busy 2 days but as always, a pleasure to see everybody’s hard work and efforts. All the residents should be really proud of their beautiful gardens they have designed.”

The Results

Most Colourful Garden Award in the Best Garden category: Mark

Most Innovative and Recycled Garden Award in the Best Garden category: Meg

Best Garden

Winner: Christina and Tim

Winner: Tilly

Runner up: Pamela and Leslie

Best Small Garden

Winner: Ian

Runner up: David and Christine

Best Patio, Courtyard and Balcony

Winner: Mark

Winner: Phylis

Runner up: Brian

Commendation Award: Colin

We hope their gardens have inspired you to enter next year. Look out on our website, socials and in the Spring issue of Door to Door magazine for the April launch of the Gardening Competition 2026!