Broadland Housing Association

Homes, community & support since 1963

    • housing

    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.

    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

    Canary Quay – Residential Project of the Year award

    Our Canary Quay project in Norwich has been named Residential Project of the Year in the Constructing Excellence Norfolk 2023 awards.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director, holding the Constructing Excellence Norfolk 2023 award, with members of the project team
    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director (pictured centre, holding award) with members of the Canary project team

    The fourth and final phase of Canary Quay was completed earlier this year. A total of 323 apartments have been built on the riverside site in Norwich: a mixture of social rent, shared ownership and open market sales.

    The Constructing Excellence Norfolk awards recognise innovation and best practice through collaborative working and supply chain integration. Thanks to our partners on this project RG Carter, Ingleton Wood architects and Rossi Long Consulting for their support.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director, said:

    We are over the moon that Canary Quay has been recognised in this way, especially as RG Carter built through some unprecedented times. This project has taken 13 years from buying the land from Norwich City Football Club to completing earlier this year. It’s all down to the people we want to work with and we have had a great team.

    Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director

    Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund success

    As a member of Independent East, Broadland will receive funding from Wave 2 of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF Wave 2.1) to improve the energy efficiency of its homes.

    Independent East, an informal alliance of housing associations based in Norfolk and Suffolk, has secured almost £9 million in funding to boost energy efficiency in hundreds of social housing homes. The funding is being administered through Broadland Housing Association as the consortium lead.

    Warm, energy-efficient homes

    The funding from Wave 2 of the Government’s Social Housing Decarbonisation Fund (SHDF Wave 2.1) will fund the installation of energy-saving measures in 800 homes, such as loft insulation and new windows. The upgrades will mean properties currently below Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C will be brought up to that standard, which will help to:

    • deliver warm, energy efficient homes
    • reduce carbon emissions
    • tackle fuel poverty
    • support green jobs
    • develop the retrofit sector
    • improve the comfort, health, and wellbeing of tenants

    The value of effective partnerships

    We are very proud of the partnership with Independent East members.  This funding shows what an effective partnership can achieve for the benefit of our tenants. This funding will help to improve the energy efficiency of tenants’ homes at a time when fuel bills are at a historic high. We will be focusing on improvements to 5 of our schemes, focusing on upgrading to carbon-friendly heating systems and electricity-generating solar panels, ensuring that the energy performance increases to a minimum of a ‘C’ rating.

    Justin O’Connor, Assistant Asset Director, Broadland Housing Association

    Funding breakdown

    The funding breakdown between the housing associations is as follows:  

    5 new homes to support former rough sleepers

    Members of Breckland District Council and Broadland Housing accepting keys to the new homes with people in backbround

    5 new homes to support former rough sleepers

    Five newly built homes in Thetford will be used to house former rough sleepers in Breckland and help them take the next steps into long-term accommodation. It is the culmination of a £926,000 partnership project between Broadland Housing Association and Breckland Council which is designed to tackle homelessness in the district.

    Councillor Paul Claussen, Executive Member for Economic Development and Growth at Breckland Council, and Michael Newey, Chief Executive of Broadland Housing Association, were given the keys to the new homes at a ceremony to mark the end of the 8-month construction project.

    The 5 x 1-bedroom homes – 4 houses and 1 bungalow – have been built with a timber frame design for speed of construction and to ensure low embodied carbon. The new homes, constructed by local firm H Smith of Honingham, are energy-efficient, with air source heat pumps.

    The 5 residents of the new homes had all previously been sleeping rough, with one of them having done so for 4 years. Before moving into the new homes in Thetford, they have lived in Breckland Council’s supported accommodation, supported by Solo Housing to prepare for their tenancy. That support will continue as the residents take on their own tenancies. Eventually the aim is that they will move on from these homes into long-term rental tenancies.

    Councillor Paul Claussen, Executive Member for Economic Development and Growth at Breckland Council, commented:

    By working in partnership on this project we have been able to lever in national funding to help deliver high quality, low carbon housing for some of the district’s most vulnerable residents. These properties will not only support former rough sleepers to access housing locally, but it will also help them rebuild their lives and become independent again. We want to end rough sleeping for good and through innovative programmes like this we’re on track to ensure no one is forced to spend a night on the streets or isolated in our community.”

    Michael Newey added:

    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. Both Breckland and Broadland are members of the Norfolk Strategic Housing Alliance, and this is a great example of when partners – including the support provider – work together to help end homelessness in Norfolk.

    These much-needed energy-efficient homes have been 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.

    Outside new homes on Elm Road
    Kitchen of one of the new homes
    dining and living space
    bathroom
    Accessibility by WAH