Broadland Housing Group

Homes, community & support since 1963

norwich

Webster Court flats ‘built’ in 3 days!

  • Webster Court apartment being craned into position in Norwich
  • Webster Court, Norwich, on Day 3 of construction
  • Webster Court, Norwich, on Day 3 of construction

New apartments for people experiencing homelessness in Norwich have been ‘built’ in 3 days at Webster Court.

The modular apartments were craned into place on site in November, with each storey being ‘built’ in just one day! Watch the timelapse video. The flats were lowered into position with windows, heating systems, kitchens and bathrooms already fitted.

The new apartment block, on a disused car park next to a housing with care scheme run by St Martin’s Housing Trust, will provide desperately-needed homes for people who are homeless in Norwich.

Tenancies of 6-24 months will be available, and tenants will be supported to find a long-term solution to their homelessness. The first residents are due to move in before Christmas.

It’s identified in our Rough Sleeping Strategy that we are in desperate need of homes for people who might be homeless, or who are on the verge of being homeless. It’s so wonderful to see these homes that have grown almost overnight.  What a start for someone who could have their lives changed, and with the proper support, will be able to progress through life in a far better place.

Councillor Gail Harris, Cabinet Member for Social Housing, Norwich City Council

We chose a modular construction route because of speed.  We are looking at a very tight site here, so we needed a solution that would minimise disruption and have just three days of actual construction. The fundamental issue we have in the UK, and in Norwich, is that we do not have enough housing.  That is why we have a problem, that is why we have street homelessness, that is why so many vulnerable groups are struggling to find the right accommodation.  That is why it’s so important to be delivering housing.

Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director, Broadland Housing Association

The new block has been delivered in partnership with Norwich City Council, who gifted the land. The Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities and Homes England supported the construction with funding. Other partners in the project include tenancy support providers St Martin’s Housing Trust and The Magdalene Group; modular supplier modular supplier Modpods International; technical consultants Ingleton Wood, Aecom and Rossi Long; and Munnings Construction.

We are also grateful to Moving Forward-Norfolk (MF-N). Rob Begley, Founder Member, cleaned the 6 flats ready for the tenants to move in, free of charge. MF-N is a not-for-profit organisation set up in April 2021 to tackle the problems caused by hoarding and self-neglect.

Celebrating 20 years: the real Living Wage

Broadland Housing Chief Executive Michael Newey has encouraged all businesses and organisations to consider paying the real Living Wage. Speaking at the Living Wage Foundation‘s 2021 event in Norwich, he said:

The real Living Wage is part of our wider strategy to deliver high levels of staff engagement and as a result deliver a high level of commitment to our tenants and to the organisation. We are a ‘people’ business.  We provide people with homes, and our people provide our tenants with the services they require.  The quality of our employees is vital to our success. Treating people fairly and with respect is key to our culture and drives that engagement.   

Paying our employees a real Living Wage is all about us respecting our staff, ensuring that they are paid properly for the jobs they are doing. It reduces the chances that they will need to turn to benefits to look after their families, and struggle to make ends meet. 

Paying people a wage that allows them to have a reasonable standard of living shouldn’t be an optional extra for organisations whether in the public, private or third sector.   

If you can’t afford to pay people properly for the job that they do for you – if you need to ask them to apply for in-work benefits because you can’t afford to pay them a real Living Wage, then I believe that trustees, directors, executive teams and shareholders need to ask themselves some difficult questions about their business model.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Association

Broadland Housing was first accredited as a Living Wage Employer in 2016. There are more than 300,000 people working for almost 9,000 real Living Wage Employers throughout the country.

What is the real Living Wage?

The real Living Wage rates are rising to £9.90 across the UK (40p increase), and £11.05 in London (20p increase), supporting workers and families. The Living Wage rates are the only rates independently calculated based on what people need to live on. 

Unlike the Government minimum wage (‘National Living Wage’ for over 23s – £8.91 rising to £9.50 in April 2022) the real Living Wage is the only wage rate independently calculated based on rising living costs – including fuel, energy, rent and food. A full-time worker earning the new, real Living Wage would earn £1,930 a year more than a worker earning the current government minimum (NLW). For a worker today that’s the equivalent of 7 months of food bills and more than 5 months’ rent based on average household spending in the UK.

Exciting new developments for the Living Wage campaign

Organised by Aviva plc, Norwich City Council and Future Radio, the Living Wage Week event in Norwich celebrated the historic achievements of the campaign, and the benefits for both employees and employers. There were presentations by Phoenix Events, Future Radio, Aviva and Allan Waters, Leader of the city council. There was also a look ahead to new developments – Living Hours, a Living Pension and Norwich’s plans to become a Real Living Wage City.

  

Celebration at Canary Quay honours social housing champions

Broadland Housing has celebrated naming apartment blocks at Canary Quay, Norwich, after Baroness Patricia Hollis and Richard Hawthorn, both passionate supporters of social housing.

  • Naming ceremony, Patricia Hollis House and Richard Hawthorn House, Canary Quay, Norwich
  • Naming ceremony for Patricia Hollis House and Richard Hawthorne House, Canary Quay, Norwich
  • Tenants at Canary Quay, naming ceremony for Patricia Hollis House and Richard Hawthorn House, Norwich
  • Naming ceremony for Patricia Hollis House and Richard Hawthorne House, Canary Quay, Norwich
  • Naming ceremony for Patricia Hollis House and Richard Hawthorne House, Canary Quay, Norwich

Speakers Lord Alan Howarth and MP Clive Lewis joined Canary Quay tenants at the naming ceremony, which was held on the site at Geoffrey Watling Way, Norwich. The development of over 300 new homes on the riverside is a partnership between Broadland Housing and R G Carter.

‘Somewhere to call home’

Baroness Hollis, who died in 2018, was chair of Broadland Housing Association from 2009 until 2015, at the time when the vision for Canary Quay was created.  Richard Hawthorn was a tenant Board member of the housing association from 2010 until his death in 2017.

Welcoming guests to the celebration, Broadland Housing Association Chief Executive Michael Newey said the occasion was bittersweet. 

Patricia and Richard were amazing as Board members. They both played a significant part in making this development reality.  It’s fitting that their names adorn the first two blocks which have been completed here, because above all both of them felt it was very important that people have somewhere to call home.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive, Broadland Housing Associatoin

Lord Howarth (pictured above, centre), who was Baroness Hollis’ partner, said:

Patricia was not about public recognition, but she would have been very proud to have her name associated with a social housing project in Norwich.  She would have been thrilled at the fulfilment of this project.

She was very happy to be invited to chair Broadland Housing Association. She loved working with them, and was very proud of what they achieved.

Patricia was also very fond of Richard Hawthorn, a fellow trustee and a great advocate for the interests of Broadland’s tenants.

Lord Alan Howarth

‘Community is all about people’

Norwich South MP Clive Lewis said that the new development was a community space which would enable the community to flourish.

Ultimately community is about people. It’s about buildings, it’s about infrastructure, it’s about talking, and Patricia was very good at all of those things. She was a community builder.

When people look at the name Patricia Hollis on this building in years to come, all they need to know is that she helped to build that building, and that she helped to build a community not just here, but across the city, and in many people’s hearts.

Clive Lewis MP (Norwich South)

Richard Hawthorn’s son Marcus sent a message from Canada which was read out at the ceremony. 

My father could not have wished for a greater accolade than to have his name associated with a cause that is supporting people, and that it should be so close to Carrow Road and his beloved Canaries.

Marcus Hawthorn
Read biographies of Baroness Patricia Hollis and Richard HawthornDownload

Canary Quay has been built on land formerly owned by Norwich City Football Club.  The development is a mixture of social housing, affordable homes and open market properties.

AGM 2021 – Broadland Housing focused on ‘enduring purpose’ of providing good quality, affordable homes

AGM 2021 – Broadland Housing focused on ‘enduring purpose’ of providing good quality, affordable homes

Broadland Housing held its Annual General Meeting in September. Michael Newey, Chief Executive (pictured), said that the key challenges in 2020-21 had been to keep people safe, keep homes decent and meet tenants’ expectations. He described how Broadland had ‘gone the extra mile’ to meet these challenges.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive of Broadland Housing Association, addresses the 2021 AGM

Providing new homes

Despite the pandemic, during 2020-21 Broadland Housing delivered:

  • a total of 147 new homes (against a target of 72), of which
  • 92 were affordable rent
  • 33 were for shared ownership

During the year Broadland also allocated:

  • a total of 348 homes, of which
  • 117 were to homeless households
  • 111 to older people.

Keeping tenants safe

The pandemic has been the most significant event of my life, and the same is true for most of us. Life has changed, and we have all faced significant challenges.  I am really proud of how we transitioned almost overnight to meet those challenges and continue to meet our objectives.

Our ambitions remain the same, but the world has changed. We have had to adapt the way we do things.  Our number one priority has been keeping people safe, and that has sometimes meant that we haven’t been able to do everything that we wanted to do. 

Supporting people has never been more important, whether through befriending calls with people who have been isolated in their homes, or dealing with urgent issues such as emergency repairs.”

Michael Newey, Chief Executive

Working towards net carbon zero

As Broadland emerges from the pandemic, it faces the continuing challenges of responding to climate change and tackling homelessness, and a renewed focus on local delivery all priorities, along with continuing to provide more new homes.

Climate change will in the long term be a bigger issue than Covid. The issue is how we can deliver the 2050 net carbon zero target without pushing people into fuel poverty? One piece of research has estimated that meeting that target will cost an average of nearly £21,000 per affordable home, so the financial impact is enormous.

Tackling homelessness has been a long-term priority for us.  The pandemic inspired a renewed sense of joined-up thinking and partnership working, and we have played a role in both the Norfolk Strategic Housing Partnership and the Norfolk Homelessness Forum.  We have also worked with King’s Lynn, Norwich and Great Yarmouth to provide ‘housing first’ accommodation, move-on accommodation and homes for prison leavers.

Michael Newey, Chief Executive

First hybrid AGM

Thanking tenants, staff and stakeholders for their support over the year, Michael Newey said:

There is no doubt that the pandemic will continue to have a substantial impact on our operations during the coming year. However, our commitment to delivering our enduring purpose, namely helping people who cannot afford decent places to live in the open market access good quality affordable homes, remains as strong as ever.

The AGM was Broadland’s first hybrid meeting. To observe Covid-19 safety guidance, a limited number of people attended in person, while the remainder joined virtually.

Download a copy of the 2020-21 Annual Report.

Canary Quay in final phase of construction

Canary Quay in final phase of construction

With our partners R G Carter we are delighted to have reached the 4th phase of Canary Quay, a new modern housing development on the River Wensum in Norwich city centre.

Building of 101 x1- and 2-bedroom apartments has already started on site. This represents the final stage of the Canary Quay regeneration project. More than 300 affordable and privately-owned homes are being created, offering modern living space in a desirable riverside location. As well as RG Carter, Broadland worked with a range of partners, including Norwich City Council, Ingleton Wood, Rossi Long, Bidwells, Savills and Borne to realise the project.

Michael Newey, Group Chief Executive, said:

One of our priorities is to provide much needed affordable homes for the people living in the city. This development is part of the solution.

Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director, added:

We are delighted to progress to phase 4 of this important development.  Our strong partnership with Carters showcases what can be achieved together.

Transformative project

The final phase is expected to be completed in 2022 and will sit alongside 222 apartments completed in phases 1, 2 and 3 of the scheme’s construction. The blocks are officially named Patricia Hollis House, Richard Hawthorn House, Solace, Olive, Norada and White Moth.

Mario Rackham, Director and General Manager at R G Carter, said:

We’re incredibly proud of this development and our continuing partnership with Broadland Housing. It’s great to see the Canary Quay regeneration finally coming together transforming the riverside area, while providing high-quality modern housing for the local community.

The spacious apartments will offer open plan living spaces, contemporary kitchens and bathrooms, a communal garden, riverside views and access to a new riverside walk that leads to the city centre. The new apartments will be marketed from autumn 2022 and available for residents to move in from spring 2023.

Watch a drone video of the completed apartments. 

Accessibility by WAH