Broadland Housing Association

Homes, community & support since 1963

    • News

    Derelict Norwich site transformed into homes for social rent

    New social rent homes at Mile Cross Norwich

    Derelict Norwich site transformed into homes for social rent

    We have partnered with Norwich City Council to build 5 eco-friendly new homes on a formerly derelict site in Mile Cross, Norwich. 

    New social rent homes at Mile Cross Norwich
    New social rent homes at Mile Cross Norwich, built by Broadland Housing Association for Norwich City Council
    Bungalow for social rent built by Broadland Housing Association for Norwich City Council, Mile Cross, Norwich
    Michael Newey (Broadland Housing Association, Gail Harris (Norwich City Council) and Andrew Savage (Broadland Housing Association) outside the new social rent homes at Mile Cross Norwich

    Norwich City Council bought the site of the former King’s Arms public house in 2020 to build social housing, using a compulsory purchase order. The site had been left to stand derelict for years by its previous owner.   

    1 x 2-bedroom bungalow, 1 x 5-bedroom house and 3 x 4-bedroom houses have been built on the land. The homes have been let by Norwich City Council through its housing register, providing the types of homes most needed by applicants. Each of the families has been able to move away from homes that were no longer suitable for them, making these properties available for new tenants.  

    Eco-design reduces energy costs

    The homes are designed to save tenants money on heating and hot water. They have extra insulation and low-carbon features, including air source heat pumps, triple glazing and solar panels. Each property also has an electric vehicle charging point. They have been thoughtfully designed to complement the established residential area.  

    To make access to the development possible, the city council also acquired the house next door to the site. This was a former council home sold under the government’s Right to Buy scheme. It is now back in the city’s social housing stock.  

    Creative solution to meet demand for affordable housing

    Councillor Gail Harris, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for social housing (pictured above, second right), visited the site this week to welcome the 5 new households:  

    Turning this deserted plot into much-needed social homes is a fantastic outcome for the city.  

    It has been wonderful to meet some of the new residents already getting settled just in time for Christmas.  

    Purchasing the King’s Arms site to benefit the community is an example of how we are being creative to address the demand for affordable housing in the city.

    Councillor Gail Harris, Norwich City Council’s cabinet member for social housing

    Mark, who has moved into the bungalow on the site, said:

    It’s a lovely home, it couldn’t be better. We have downsized from a 3-bedroom house in Norwich and no longer need to worry about the stairs. 

    Sam, another new resident who has moved from within Mile Cross, said:

    We are really pleased to have moved in before Christmas and have already met lots of neighbours.  

    This new home gives our family more space, and staying in the area has meant we haven’t had to change anything else.

    Broadland Housing managed the project for the council and the homes were built by Smith of Honingham.  

    We are delighted to work in partnership with Norwich City Council once again, this time as their Development Agent. Norwich City have taken a site which has been disused for many years and turned it into beautiful new homes in our city. We continue to be proud of our partnership with the council. It shows just what can be done with thoughtful insight and imagination.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director, Broadland Housing Association (pictured above, right)

    Our partnership with Norwich City Council, has been fruitful over the years, with many new homes provided for the people of Norwich. As homeless numbers continue to raise, and many families in our city struggling to find good quality, well-maintained properties, these new homes are needed now more than ever.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association (pictured above, left)

    Housing conference focuses on the importance of listening to tenants

    Housing conference focuses on the importance of listening to tenants

    The first Independent East conference was held near Norwich in November 2022. More than 100 tenants, board members and staff attended from five housing associations based in Norfolk and Suffolk. The conference focused on what lies in store for social housing in 2023 and the important role of tenants.

    Independent East Conference November 2022, delegates discussing in group around a table
    Independent East Conference November 2022,3 delegates chatting at table
    Independent East Conference November 2022, speaker Kate Dodsworth from Regulator of Social Housing
    Independent East Conference, November 2022

    There were keynote speeches from housing experts Hilary Burkitt, Director of Housing at IFF Research; Kathryn Eyre, Quality, Engagement & Development Director of the Housing Ombudsman; and Kate Dodsworth, Director of Consumer Regulation for the Regulator of Social Housing. The programme also included table discussions and opportunities for questions.

    Creative collaboration

    In their discussions, the participants focused on creative collaboration as a key solution to the challenges faced by housing associations. They discussed how these challenges might be alleviated by really listening to tenants and putting them at the heart of decisions in the difficult year(s) ahead.

    I found the keynote speeches informative, positive and thought-provoking. The whole conference was uplifting and well attended by tenants. It shows a growing interest in how attitudes to social housing and engaging with our landlords are changing.

    Jane, a Broadland tenant who participated

    It’s important for the sector to come together and think deeply about the challenges they are facing at the moment in such unprecedented times. The takeaway from today is a real sense that everyone is up for the challenge that we’re facing. Despite the great difficulties for housing associations, for tenants, everyone is up for thinking about how they are going to address these challenges and to make sure we are doing our very best for all of our tenants.

    Hilary Burkitt, Director of Housing IFF Research

    The event was organised by Independent East, an informal alliance of five community‐focused housing associations in the East of England – Broadland Housing, Freebridge Community Housing, Havebury Housing Partnership, Saffron Housing Trust, and Orwell Housing Association.

    Independent East will continue to work collaboratively together and with tenants to address common issues, sharing ideas and best practice to continually improve services and better the lives of their customers.

    CEOs of Independent East housing associations, November 2022
    The CEOs of the five Independent East housing associations: from left to right: James Francis (Saffron); Michael Newey (Broadland); Anita Jones (Freebridge); Andrew Smith (Havebury); Wendy Evans-Hendrick (Orwell)

    Work starts on new net zero homes at Northrepps, Norfolk

    North Repps eco homes - architect image

    Work starts on new net zero homes at Northrepps, Norfolk

    North Repps eco homes - architect image
    Architect’s image of new net zero homes at Northrepps, Norfolk, when completed

    As world leaders gather in Egypt to discuss the climate emergency at the COP27 summit, Broadland Housing has started to build its first net zero operational carbon homes, in north Norfolk.

    We are building 19 new homes at Northrepps, using a range of property types to respond to local housing need.  Eight of the homes are for affordable rent and two for shared ownership. The remaining nine homes are being developed by Broadland Housing’s subsidiary Broadland St Benedicts for open market sale. The proceeds from these homes will go towards subsidising the affordable homes.

    Low-carbon impact construction

    All the new homes at Northrepps will feature an enhanced insulated timber frame, triple-glazed windows, air source heat pumps, air tightness with mechanical ventilation, and heat recovery to minimise energy demand.

    Photovoltaic solar panels on the homes’ roofs are predicted to generate sufficient electricity over the course of the year to offset the estimated electricity usage for the average occupancy of each property.

    The project has brought together a range of local experts to deliver on our commitment to low-carbon impact construction. 

    This commitment is particularly aimed at reflecting affordable ‘lived in’ costs – an issue which is becoming increasingly important for householders in the current energy crisis.

    The project team has been exploring the changes Norfolk developers and the construction industry need to implement to achieve net zero carbon.

    We have also been working with local contractors and suppliers to encourage them to engage with their existing supply chains to increase the effectiveness of workmanship and products, which can be replicated on future projects.  The key is to find the ‘sweet’ spot between construction technique and cost.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director

    Meeting local housing need

    The new net zero operational carbon homes are forecast to be completed in spring 2024. Households in housing need with a local connection to Northrepps and physically adjoining parishes will be able to apply on North Norfolk District Council’s website for them.

    The development at Northrepps is part of an ongoing effort to reduce the environmental impact of the new homes that Broadland Housing builds.

    The COP27 summit is focusing everyone’s attention on climate change, but the issues of environmental impact and energy affordability have been on our radar for a long time.

    We are now turning our attention to reducing the embodied carbon from the manufacturing and construction process along with providing biodiversity net gain on our developments. For example, trees used in manufacturing the timber frame that have absorbed carbon, along with a rewilding area adjacent to the site, will help offset carbon emissions from the construction process itself.

    Work is now in progress on future schemes to source construction materials more locally and provide wetlands for surface water drainage and nutrient neutrality.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director

    Living Wage Week 2022: why a fair wage matters this year more than ever

    Living Wage Week 2022 - accredited employer graphic

    To celebrate Living Wage Week (14 to 20 November 2022), Norwich employers and employees have shared their stories, explaining why a real Living Wage matters more than ever during the cost-of-living crisis.

    The real Living Wage is an hourly rate of pay calculated by the Living Wage Foundation based on what people need to live on to pay for costs including fuel, energy, rent and food. It currently stands at £10.90/hr outside London, and is paid voluntarily by employers, going beyond the national minimum rates set by Government – just £9.50/hr for anyone over the age of 23.

    During Living Wage Week, Norwich’s Future Radio listeners can tune in for a full schedule of features, quizzes and interviews, and residents should look out for Living Wage messages that have been painted around the city (pictured).

    Phoenix Events (East) Ltd, a security and events management company, is an accredited Living Wage Employer based in Norwich. Anna Ryan, Operations Manager at Phoenix Events (East) Ltd, explains why the business pays the Real Living Wage and the impact it has had:

    We are striving to ensure that anyone who comes to work for Phoenix will always feel like their work is valued. This should be reflected not only in the way the company treats them, and the service we provide, but in their payslip at the end of the month. We see the difference it makes for our employees to see that what they do is being recognised, not by paying them the bare minimum, but a fair wage people can live on. 

    This extends even more so to our younger employees, who would earn considerably less under the National Minimum Wage. Many 18-year-olds have the same financial responsibilities as people well into their 20s and 30s – why should someone be paid less for doing the same job?

    Jesse Manning, Cleaning Coordinator at Broadland Housing, an accredited Living Wage Employer since 2015, described how being paid a Real Living Wage has affected him:

    When I started working for Broadland it was the first time I had ever been paid the Real Living Wage. With the increase in wages, I was lucky to find a social rented flat, with the Real Living Wage helping secure this tenancy, because I could now afford the rent. The stability of my having my own home gave my life a real positive boost and the chance to live independently. 

    At Broadland, I am part of the team that reviews and awards new contracts. I am proud that Broadland are a Living Wage Employer, and that it also requires its contractors to pay the Real Living Wage too. For me this so important. It has made such a difference to my own life, and I like to think that it will help others in the same way.

    Norwich Living Wage City Action Group is a coalition of local businesses, charities and public sector organisations who are already accredited Living Wage employers. It is aiming to triple the number of employers paying the real Living Wage to 150 by 2025. There are currently 50 Real Living Wage accredited employers in Norwich, meaning 1,114 workers have already received a pay rise that meets the real Living Wage.

    Key milestone reached in Canary Quay development

    'Topping out' ceremony - Broadland Housing, R G Carter and Ingleton Wood staff at Canary Quay phase 4, October 2022

    Key milestone reached in Canary Quay development

    A traditional ‘topping out‘ ceremony marked an important milestone in the creation of 323 new homes on Norwich’s riverside in October. Ale from local brewer Woodfordes was poured over the roof of the fourth and final building of our Canary Quay development as part of the celebration.

    Broadland Housing’s chair Chris Ewbank and Executive Development Director Andrew Savage were joined by Alex Mackay and Paul Cushing of constructors R G Carter to perform the ceremony. The topping out marked the completion of the structure and roof of the final building, which will deliver 101 new homes – 46 for shared ownership and 55 to be sold on the open market.

    Built on Geoffrey Watling Way on land formerly owned by Norwich City Football Club, Canary Quay offers a mixture of social housing, affordable homes and open market properties.  Broadland Housing acquired the land in 2010, and the first residents moved in in 2019, with the first apartments made available for affordable rent.

    The final building will also provide a second ‘podium’ for the development, a raised garden and open space for residents overlooking the river Wensum.

    Louise Archer (Executive Operations Director), Chris Ewbank (Chair) and Andrew Savage (Executive Development Director) of Broadland Housing
    Kitchen interior, phase 4, Canary Quay

    Chris Ewbank, chair of Broadland Housing, said:

    One of our priorities is to provide much-needed affordable homes for the people living in the city.  Canary Quay is an important part of the solution.

    This has been an ambitious project which has taken a very strong partnership to deliver.  What we have created here is a vibrant new community for the city, as well as over 300 much-needed new homes, many of them made available for affordable rent and for shared ownership to allow local people to get on the housing ladder in an affordable way.

    Chris Ewbank, Chair, Broadland Housing

    Paul Cushing, Preconstruction Director at R G Carter, said:

    We are excited to reach this important and final milestone at the Canary Quay development.  It’s been a real pleasure to work with the Broadland Housing Association team and support their vision for regeneration and transformation in Norwich.

    We want to thank everyone who has played a role in getting us to this moment in the project and look forward to handing over the development in the coming months.

    ?? R G Carter

    Chris Stammers, Director and Architect at Ingleton Wood, which is providing architectural services for the Canary Quay project, said:

    We are delighted to continue our engagement in the Canary Quay development with the topping out of the final project phase. 

    The completion of this block of 101 homes represents the final piece in the jigsaw of the wider masterplan. We are excited to see the completed street scene and, most importantly, the completion of this riverside community.

    Chris Stammers, Director and Architect, Ingleton Wood

    The apartments in phase 4 of Canary Quay will be marketed shortly, with residents expected to move in in spring 2023.

    Accessibility by WAH