Broadland Housing Association

Homes, community & support since 1963

    • homelessness

    Broadland Housing AGM 2023: Maintaining Our Focus

    Celebrating 60 years of service, Broadland Housing Association continues its unwavering commitment to addressing housing needs and homelessness. In the face of significant financial challenges, the Annual General Meeting (AGM) emphasised the dedication to Broadland’s mission.

    AGM - Broadland Housing

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive of Broadland Housing Association, pledged that the organisation would maintain its focus, despite the cost-of-living crisis and interest rates resulting in an unprecedented financial squeeze.

    More people are unable to find affordable homes in the private sector than when we started, while our tenants are facing unparalleled economic pressures, with food inflation at a 42 year high, and energy costs still at very high levels.
    Michael Newey, Chief Executive

    Meeting Housing Demand

    Michael Newey - AGM 2023

    During the past financial year, Broadland Housing successfully delivered 131 new homes, compromising 55 for affordable rent and 76 for shared ownership.

    Mr. Newey pointed out that the organisation’s ongoing struggle to balance managing existing homes, delivering quality services, and building new homes to meet growing housing demand, while ensuring sustainability.

    He also emphasised the pressing housing need, revealing that 18,710 households in Norfolk and East Suffolk are on the waiting list for housing. Nationally, the availability of homes for rent has decreased by 1.1 million since 1979, with affordable homes in the overall housing stock declining from 31% to just 17% during the same period.

    Optimism Amidst Challenges

    Despite these challenges, Mr. Newey remains optimistic about the future.

    We are proud of holding true to our purpose across our first 60 years, and the need for Broadland Housing is just as massive today as it ever was. Despite the frustration of facing our toughest financial year yet, we are optimistic for the future, and we will remain resolutely focussed on our purpose of tackling housing need and homelessness.
    Michael Newey, Chief Executive

    Selected Statistics from the 2022/23 Annual Report

    • 5,561 homes provided
    • 602 homes allocated, including 108 to homeless households
    • 15,557 responsive repairs completed
    • 439 tenants supported in sustaining their tenancies
    • 131 new homes delivered, compromising 55 for affordable rent and 76 for shared ownership

    For more information, you can download the 2022/23 Annual Report from: www.broadlandgroup.org/about-us/governance-documents/annual-reviews.

    Welcoming Jenny Watson as New Chair

    We are delighted to announce the appointment of Jenny Watson CBE as our new Chair at Broadland Housing Association.

    Michael Newey and Jenny Watson

    With an impressive track record, Jenny Watson has held key leadership roles, serving as Chair of The Electoral Commission and The Equal Opportunities Commission, and as a non-executive director of the The Financial Ombudsman Service. She also currently chairs the homeless Charity, The House of St. Barnabas, and serves as a trustee of the Norfolk Community Foundation. In recognition of her outstanding contributions, she was appointed a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) in 2017.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive of Broadland Housing, warmly welcomed Jenny,

    We are very fortunate indeed to announce Jenny as our new chair. She has huge experience in a wide range of roles relating to social value and public policy, as well as building complex stakeholder relationships and leading organisations through significant change. 
    Michael Newey, Chief Executive

    Jenny’s work in the public, private, and charitable sectors has encompassed strategic leadership, cultural transformation, governance and risk management, diversity and inclusion initiatives, and commitment to meeting the needs of vulnerable people.

    At a time when all housing associations are facing unprecedented challenges in meeting housing need, Jenny brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role, and we are delighted to welcome her to the Board and to the role of Chair.
    Michael Newey, Chief Executive

    Jenny Watson steps into the role previously held by Chris Ewbank, who served as Chair of Broadland for six years and has now retired.

    Commenting on her appointment, Jenny said,

    I am really pleased to be joining Broadland’s board at such a critical time for the housing sector. I look forward to meeting and learning from our existing tenants to provide the best service that we can to those in our homes, and to working with our partners across Norfolk and North Suffolk, to tackle homelessness and meet the demand for new housing – particularly affordable housing- that we know exists.
    Jenny Watson, Chair of Broadland

    We are confident that Jenny’s leadership will further strengthen our commitment to providing high-quality housing solutions and the evolving challenges in the housing sector.

    Good progress on net zero homes at Northrepps

    Inspecting progress on net zero operational carbon homes at Northrepps, Norfolk

    Good progress on net zero homes at Northrepps

    Building work on our 19 new net zero-operational carbon homes at Northrepps is progressing well. Construction started earlier this year.

    Inspecting progress on net zero operational carbon homes at Northrepps, Norfolk
    From left to right: Jenny Watson (new board member); Councillor Angie Fitch-Tillett (NNDC), Gavin Smith (Northrepps Parish Council); Councillor Wendy Fredricks, Deputy Leader, NNDC; Chief Executive Michael Newey; Executive Development Director Andrew Savage

    The new homes, off Broadgate Close in Northrepps village, have a range of features designed to maximise energy-efficiency and minimise the demand for energy.  They are the first net zero-operational carbon homes that Broadland has built.

    Eight of the homes are for affordable rent and two for shared ownership. The remaining nine homes are being developed by Broadland St Benedicts for open market sale, and the proceeds will help to subsidise the affordable homes.

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive (second from right in large picture), and Councillor Wendy Fredericks (third from right), portfolio holder for Housing and Peoples’ Services at North Norfolk District Council, toured the site with other housing officials to see how construction was progressing.

    Energy-saving features

    The new homes 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 off-set the estimated electricity usage for the average occupancy of each property.

    The project has brought together a range of local experts to deliver on Broadland Housing’s commitment to low carbon impact construction. 

    We are delighted to see how these new homes are progressing and to be able to demonstrate the first outlines of this new scheme with its eco technology.

    The technology we are installing here will make these homes fuel efficient and reduce the energy bills for the new tenants as well as fulfilling our ambitions set out in our corporate strategy to reduce the environmental impact of the new homes we build.”

    Michael Newey, Chief Executive

    North Norfolk District Council welcomes the Broadland Housing Association scheme in Broadgate Close, Northrepps.  We have been supporting the scheme through the whole process working with Broadland Housing Association to build these badly needed homes in our District.

    These new eco homes are incredibly important and will help residents reduce costs in the current climate.

    Councillor Wendy Fredericks, North Norfolk District Council

    The homes were designed by architects Ingleton Wood and are being built by Norwich-based contractor Smith of Honingham.

    The scheme is due for completion in spring 2024.

    Hindringham

    Hindringham

    Google Earth location
    Site plan. Hindringham
    Hingdringham 3D Model
    Architect’s 3D model of proposed scheme

    Working with North Norfolk District Council, we have completed a mixed-tenure scheme of 11 homes on Wells Road in Hindringham, Norfolk.

    The new scheme includes:

    • 6 x 3-bedroom 5-person houses
    • 3 x 2-bedroom 4-person bungalows
    • 2 x 1-bedroom 2-person bungalows

    The homes provide a mix of 7 affordable rent and 4 market sales properties. Building materials include brick, flint and timber, with clay roof tiles, to blend in with the local architecture.

    Repps Road, Martham

    Repps Road, Martham

    Site location
    Aerial view
    Site context

    A community consultation took place at Martham Community Centre on Wednesday 17th May 2023.

    We are looking at developing new housing in Martham, Norfolk. This would be partly on the allocated land for housing on Repps Road, combined with a local needs-led exception site.

    Broadland carried out a housing needs survey in Martham in November 2022 and we have incorporated those results into the design.

    Over the past 12 months, in discussions with the Parish Council and Norfolk Highways, the need for a roundabout for the village has been highlighted. The roundabout would allow access to this development and reduce driving speeds into the village.

    The scheme we are consulting on takes this into account and includes the following tenures:

    View presentation boards from the public consultationDownload
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