affordable

Work underway on 5 homes in Thetford for former rough sleepers

July 28, 2022

Work underway on 5 homes in Thetford for former rough sleepers

Start of building work on 5 new affordable homes for former rough sleepers in Thetford, part of a joint initiative between Breckland Council and Broadland Housing Associatoin — Ceremony to mark start of building work at Elm Road, Thetford; (right) Councillor Gordon Bambridge of Breckland Council and Broadland Housing Chief Executive Michael Newey

Michael Newey (right) Executive of Broadland Housing Association with Councillor from Breckland Council at start of work on site at Elm Road, Thetford, on 5 homes for former rough sleepters — Ceremony to mark start of building work at Elm Road, Thetford; (right) Councillor Gordon Bambridge of Breckland Council and Broadland Housing Chief Executive Michael Newey

Building work on 5 new affordable homes in Thetford for former rough sleepers is now underway.

We are delighted to be working on this project with Breckland Council, which has gifted the land – a former school car park on Elm Road, Thetford. Grant funding has come from Homes England via the Rough Sleeper Accommodation Programme.

The 5 x 1-bedroom homes (4 houses and 1 bungalow) have a timber frame design for speed of construction and to ensure low embodied carbon. Our partners, local firm H Smith of Honingham, are building the new homes, which will be energy-efficient, with air source heat pumps.

Access Community Trust will support the tenants with housing management and tenancy support services.

Councillor Chapman-Allen, the Leader of Breckland Council, and Councillor Gordon Bambridge, Executive Member for Housing & Homelessness at Breckland Council, joined our Chief Executive Michael Newey, at a ceremony to mark the start of work on the joint initiative.

I am delighted to see building work starting on this new partnership project within Breckland, aimed at supporting former homeless residents who need support to get back into long term accommodation. These new low-embodied-carbon buildings will complement the fantastic work already taking place at Elm House in Thetford, which is supporting local people in need of emergency accommodation.”
Councillor Gordon Bambridge, Executive Member for Housing & Homelessness, Breckland Council

This project is a great example of what can be achieved when organisations such as Breckland Council and Broadland Housing work together in partnership to tackle the problem of homelessness.
These much-needed energy-efficient homes will be built to the high quality standards we have for all our homes. By bringing back into use a piece of surplus land, we can ensure that more people leave the streets and can have a home to call their own.
Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association

The 5 new homes will be completed in early 2023.

Lakenfields shortlisted for top planning prize

June 28, 2022

Lakenfields at Webster Court, Norwich (exterior)

Lakenfields in line for top planning award

Our Lakenfields scheme in Norwich has been shortlisted for the RTPI East of England Awards for Planning Excellence!

The RTPI (Royal Town Planning Institute) Awards for Planning Excellence celebrate some of the eastern region’s most impressive projects.

Lakenfields, at Webster Court, is a finalist in the Excellence in Planning for Communities (small schemes of 50 or less) categoy.

Working with Norwich City Council and Bidwells, we successfully obtained planning permission in January 2021. The project itself was completed in late 2021, and tenants moved into the modular apartments in December 2021.

The scheme provided rapid development of affordable housing to address homelessness in Norwich through dynamic partnership working with the local authority. This required the planning team to gain consent quickly and without any pre-commencement conditions to hit the timescales.
Andrew Savage, Development Director, Broadland Housing Association

Dynamic collaboration

A the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Government released funding to help address homelessness. It was an opportunity for local authorities and housing associations to work together to deliver the affordable housing needed.

Lakenfields at Webster Court is a direct outcome of this funding stream. It demonstrates how collaborative working can deliver high-quality affordable housing quickly to meet urgent needs.

This project showcases how planning, and the wider property industry, causes real tangible change in local communities and benefits the wellbeing of vulnerable individuals.
Norwich is consistently named one of the best places to live in the UK. However, there was an acute need for accommodation to support vulnerable residents, particularly following the pandemic. [This scheme] is providing Norwich with better facilities and care for its residents by providing vital support to those in need.
Jake Lambert, Principal Planner, Bidwells

Positive impact on quality of life

The awards highlight “exceptional examples of how planning and planners have a positive impact on our quality of life in creating exceptional places and protecting our environment”.

The Regional Judging Panel have now reviewed and judged all entries. The winners will be announced at the RTPI East of England Awards Gala on 30 June 2022 at Hylands House in Chelmsford, Essex.

The top-scoring entries in all 15 categories will go through to the national finals later this year. The national winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on 30 November 2022.