Broadland Housing Association

Homes, community & support since 1963

    • News

    New partnership with Norwich Credit Union

    Saving pays! Up to £50 reward for Broadland Housing tenants from Norwich Credit Union

    From 1 September, Broadland Housing tenants who join Norwich Credit Union and save regularly will get £25 added to their account. And in certain postcodes, tenants may even qualify for an extra £25 reward, making £50 in total.

    Norwich Credit Union (also trading as Norfolk Save & Borrow) will pay £25 into the account of any Broadland Housing tenant aged 18+ who joins and saves regularly for 3 months (13 weeks). Tenants living in a central Norwich, Dereham, Great Yarmouth, Cromer or King’s Lynn postcode* may also be entitled to receive an extra £25 if they keep saving regularly for a further 3 months. This will be paid from the credit union’s ongoing StopLoanSharks promotion.

    Jon Warne, President of Norwich Credit Union, explains:

    “The aim of this special offer is to encourage Broadland tenants to get into a regular savings habit, so they have some money set aside for emergencies. For many tenants needing quick cash, the only option is an online or high street lender, or even a loan shark. Our local credit union provides a safe, low-cost alternative.”

    Ivan Johnson, Broadland Housing, says:

    “From Broadland’s point of view, we want to support our tenants to manage their money better, particularly with Universal Credit rolling out further across Norfolk this autumn. Rent arrears are a significant cost to housing associations. We’re also working with the credit union on other solutions to help tenants maintain their tenancy.”

    Broadland Housing has hosted a credit union service point at its Dereham office every Thursday lunchtime since 2016.

    Norwich Credit Union/Norfolk Save & Borrow have service points throughout Norwich and in Great Yarmouth, and also offer online services

    Helping our tenants recycle

    Broadland Housing is supporting older residents to recycle their batteries by providing bright new disposal bins at all 8 of its Housing with Care schemes in Norfolk.

    Broadland will collect the old batteries and dispose of them safely at a local recycling centre.

    Louise Archer, Executive Property Director, says: “Older people with care needs tend to be less mobile and so it’s more difficult for them to get to battery recycling points at supermarkets etc. Also, they’re more likely to use battery-powered devices, such as hearing aids, watches and TV remote controls.”

    Every person in UK uses on average 10 batteries per year. Every year 22,000 tonnes of UK household batteries are sent to landfill, where they leach harmful chemicals into the soil that cause damage to the environment and wildlife.

    Broadland is working with residents to raise awareness of the different kinds of batteries that can be recycled, such as:
    • cell – watches, hearing aids, calculators
    • alkaline – TV remote controls, radios, clocks
    • lithium – some mobile phones, power tools

    The new battery bins and posters will be placed in the communal areas of Broadland’s Housing with Care schemes, which house nearly 300 residents in total, at the end of August.

    Broadland is planning to roll out the bins to its 6 sheltered housing schemes housing with care and 8 in the region next year, reaching nearly 600 residents.

    A spokesperson for NorseCare commented: “Our tenants will make good use of these battery bins. We are always very supportive of schemes that will assist with environmental issues, so this project will make a significant difference in reducing the damage to the environment.”

    Broadland’s latest waste-reduction initiative is part of its strategy to reduce the impact of its operations on the environment. In March 2018, Broadland signed a ‘zero waste to landfill’ contract with waste-management specialist Viridor. The housing association is SHIFT Gold-Award accredited.

    Catherine Little joins as Executive Housing Director

    We’re very pleased to welcome Catherine Little as our new Executive Housing Director. Catherine will lead our neighbourhood, income, tenancy support, estate services and tenant engagement teams. Her wealth of experience will help us drive forward these important roles for the organisation. We will continue to engage with our tenants and improve services together.

    Catherine joins Broadland from Soha Housing, and replaces Ivan Johnson, who stepped down at the end of June, as part of his plans for a phased retirement. Ivan will now be working 2 days a week as Group Improvement Business Advisor.

    Chris Ewbank, Chair of Broadland’s board, said:

    “On behalf of the board of Broadland, I’m delighted to welcome Catherine to the team. Her in-depth knowledge and experience of governance, regulation and communications will contribute significantly to delivering our corporate strategy. We are excited to be working with her as she drives forward engagement and strategy in the housing directorate.”

    Catherine Little commented:
    “It’s a privilege to become part of the Broadland team. I’m committed to high quality housing services and believe we will keep achieving these by listening to, and working closely with, residents.”

    Broadland Chief Executive Michael Newey said:
    “I’m really pleased that Broadland has managed to attract Catherine to join the team. She brings with her considerable experience in the sector and, working in partnership with our tenants, I know that she will help us deliver better tenant focused services over the years ahead. Catherine’s real commitment to the people who live in homes provided by social landlords, as well as those who hope to live in our homes, through the ‘Benefit to Society’ campaign, highlights why I believe that Catherine will be such a great asset to the Broadland team.”

    New Great Ryburgh homes officially celebrated

    A new affordable housing development in Norfolk has been named in honour of a popular local quantity surveyor.

    Housden Court, in the village of Great Ryburgh, commemorates Andrew Housden, who died in 2010. The new development, which was completed in March 2018, comprises 5 affordable homes for the local community.

    It is the first scheme that Broadland has completed in a partnership arrangement with North Norfolk District Council.

    At the official unveiling of the street sign today, Andrew’s widow Dawn and close family joined guests from North Norfolk District Council, Broadland staff, and representatives from architects Ingleton Wood and builders H Smith & Sons of Honingham.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director, and a longstanding friend and colleague, said:

    “Andrew was always very supportive to all of us working in local housing. When I first joined Broadland in 2003, he was working as the lead Quantity Surveyor for what is now Aecom,” explains “Andrew was the first person to come up to me on site and ask, ‘How can I help you?’. We were all devastated when he died suddenly, shortly after he reached 50.”

    Housden Court consists of 5 homes, all for affordable rent: a one bedroom bungalow and 4 (1 bedroom and 2 bedroom) houses. 

     

    It is the first completed development in the Mixed Housing Scheme, an initiative to build 106 new homes on six sites on land provided by North Norfolk District Council, Broadland Housing Group and purchased from third parties.

    Cllr Sue Arnold, North Norfolk District Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, said:

     “These five new affordable homes are important in so many ways. The tenants benefit from a well-designed and well-built new home which is affordable and meets their needs. The value of this should not be underestimated.  Beyond this, the new homes are the start of a wider programme bringing both affordable homes to rent and buy, as well as market homes, to six communities across North Norfolk.  These projects will allow local need for affordable housing to be met, while also meeting the aspirations of those able to afford to buy.  The Council looks forward to continuing to work with Broadland to develop more such schemes and homes.”

    John Dixon, Director at Ingleton Wood said:

     “This is the first in a number of projects that we are delivering in partnership with Broadland Housing Association.  It’s fantastic that together we’re able to offer first class, high quality properties for affordable housing tenants in North Norfolk – helping to really address the housing shortage in the area.  The style of the scheme is absolutely right for the site, with a vernacular approach that’s sympathetic to the surrounding area and will endure for generations to come.”

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing, added:

     “We’re excited about reaching a significant milestone in this important programme. Like many of you here today, I have fond memories of Andrew Housden, who was a friend and colleague to all of us in the Norfolk housebuilding community. Broadland Housing is delighted that we can now remember and honour our friend in this permanent way.”

    Rural services disappearing in East of England

    Across the East of England, services and businesses have been disappearing as people are priced out of housing in their local community. New analysis of the latest data reveals that 16 schools, 4,204 post offices and 459 pubs have closed down in this region over the last five years, according to the National Housing Federation.*

    While businesses have been closing, house prices have hugely inflated in the area and become out of reach for local families. A worker on average earnings in north Norfolk needs a 177% pay rise to be able to afford a mortgage.**

    But Broadland Housing Association has promised to offer a lifeline to local residents in this part of the county, who would otherwise be priced out of an area they’ve known all their lives. Broadland is helping the area stem the tide of dying villages through a partnership arrangement with North Norfolk District Council to build 106 affordable new homes on 6 sites across the area. The first of these schemes, at Great Ryburgh, was completed in March 2018.

    Broadland is joining housing associations up and down the country celebrating Rural Housing Week (2-6 July). This campaign aims to shine a light on how affordable housing can breathe life into rural communities, by bringing new customers and job opportunities that help keep open local shops or pubs that residents rely on.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association, says:

     “We’re proud that we have a total of 600 new homes currently in development, for rent and low-cost home ownership. Many of these are in rural areas and will help to meet the urgent and growing demand for affordable homes in North Norfolk.”

    Monica Burns, External Affairs Manager for rural housing at the National Housing Federation, says:

    “Today’s findings show that far too few homes are being built for local people and villages are dying as a result. Young people are moving to cities and often house prices are rocketing. Right across rural England, schools are shutting their doors to pupils. Post offices, which provide vital community services, are closing at a similar rate and countless pubs are serving their last ever orders to locals.  It’s very welcome news that housing associations like Broadland Housing Association are building the new homes local people desperately need.”

    *Rural schools in England 2012-17, Department for Education Edubase 2018; Rural post offices in England, 2012-17, Post Office Limited Network Reports 2012-17. Data compiled for the National Housing Federation by CGA Strategy

    **Data compiled by the National Housing Federation based on: Office for National Statistics (ONS), small area statistics (house prices); Department for Work and Pensions, Stat Xplore (earnings) and the DEFRA Local Authority Rural-Urban Classification

     

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