Broadland Housing Group

Homes, community & support since 1963

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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

Corpusty

Artist impression of proposed new development atCorpusty, Norfolk

Corpusty

The pre-planning consultation for Norwich Road, Corpusty is now closed. As part of the planning process, there will be further opportunity for members of the community in Corpusty to view and comment on the proposed 38 new homes.

Meanwhile, please watch a video of our proposals.

If you have any queries, please contact Adam Ballard.

Brisley, Norfolk

Broadland Housing Association development at Trunch, Norfolk

Brisley – housing needs survey

Broadland Housing Association agreed with Brisley Parish Council to carry out a survey about housing need in the parish. This survey closed in July 2022.

If the survey identifies there is sufficient need for affordable homes, Broadland Housing Association will work in partnership with the Parish Council and local landowners to deliver either a 100% affordable housing scheme or a mixed-tenure housing exception scheme in the village, dependent on need and funding. Broadland Housing Association will then invite local landowners to put forward potential sites for consideration.

Background

Exception housing schemes are provided on land in the countryside that would otherwise not be permitted for development. The homes on an exception housing scheme are allocated using the Local Allocations Agreement, which ensures the homes are prioritised for households with a local connection to the parish in which the scheme is located and the adjoining civil parishes.

Housing need in rural areas can often be hidden and not necessarily visible to the wider community or statutory authorities. An individual or household is considered to be in housing need when:

  • they require separate or alternative accommodation AND
  • they are unable to rent or buy housing generally available on the open market.

Affordable homes

Two tenures of affordable homes are typically provided on exception housing schemes:

  • Affordable rent properties are let at rents discounted at 80% of market and generally capped at the Local Housing Allowance.
  • Shared ownership allows a household to buy an equity share of their home and pay rent on the portion retained by the housing association. Broadland Housing Association will retain the freehold. Shared owners are able to purchase equity shares up to an 80% cap of property value.

A small number of market sale homes may also be required to generate cross-subsidy and make the affordable homes more financially viable.

If you have any queries, please contact Adam Ballard.


Longham

Bodham, Norfolk

Longham

Broadland Housing Association agreed with Longham Parish Council to carry out a survey about housing need in the parish. The survey closed in August 2022.

If the survey identifies there is sufficient need for affordable homes, Broadland Housing Association will work in partnership with the Parish Council and local landowners to deliver either a 100% affordable housing scheme or a mixed-tenure housing exception scheme in the village, dependent on need and funding. Broadland Housing Association will then invite local landowners to put forward potential sites for consideration.

Background

Exception housing schemes are provided on land in the countryside that would otherwise not be permitted for development. The homes on an exception housing scheme are allocated using the Local Allocations Agreement, which ensures the homes are prioritised for households with a local connection to the parish in which the scheme is located and the adjoining civil parishes.

Housing need in rural areas can often be hidden and not necessarily visible to the wider community or statutory authorities. An individual or household is considered to be in housing need when:

  • they require separate or alternative accommodation AND
  • they are unable to rent or buy housing generally available on the open market.

Affordable homes

Two tenures of affordable homes are typically provided on exception housing schemes:

  • Affordable rent properties are let at rents discounted at 80% of market and generally capped at the Local Housing Allowance.
  • Shared ownership allows a household to buy an equity share of their home and pay rent on the portion retained by the housing association. Broadland Housing Association will retain the freehold. Shared owners are able to purchase equity shares up to an 80% cap of property value.

A small number of market sale homes may also be required to generate cross-subsidy and make the affordable homes more financially viable.

If you have any queries, please contact Adam Ballard.

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