Council seeking proposals for new affordable homes

Date published: 5th December 2022

North Norfolk District Council is looking for small and medium-sized construction companies or landowners with plots of land suitable for building homes.

The Council wants to see more new affordable homes being built by small and medium developers or companies.

To help with the shortage of affordable homes in the district, the Council is partnering with Local Partnerships, who are supporting Councils with housing challenges.

Local Partnerships is an organisation owned by the Treasury, the Local Government Association and the Welsh Government.

Through this project, the Council can:

• Guarantee the sale of properties to a housing association at a pre-agreed price
• Offer stage payments to help with cash-flow
• Help with specification, tender and legal documents
• Help with the planning application process

The Council and housing associations have agreed a straightforward specification that aims to provide the following:

• Good energy standards to make sure homes are easy and inexpensive to heat – especially important for those on low incomes
• Good space standards – with storage and where required family homes suitable for larger families

The pilot is aimed at smaller local house builders, ideally with projects which can deliver between one and 12 homes on a site. While schemes do not need to be shovel-ready, land should already be owned, under control or easily acquired.

This project will work alongside the Rural Exception Housing Scheme, which helps provide affordable housing in the countryside to meet local housing needs.

Cllr. Wendy Fredericks portfolio holder for Housing and Benefits, said:

“The pilot scheme is great news for residents and builders. The aim of the pilot is to see more small sites that are suitable for housing brought forward by smaller housebuilders, ideally with projects that could deliver between one and 12 homes on one site.

“We recognise the importance of smaller sites. We also have a clear need for more social housing because house prices are high compared to local incomes and many local people cannot afford to rent or buy a home of their own. These small sites are often ideal for social housing.

“The initiative will not only provide good quality local homes for local people but also supports the council's business support agenda through the use of local builders and suppliers.”

 Any building firm or landowner who would be interested in taking part should get in touch to find out more information about the project by sending an email to Housing.Strategy@north-norfolk.gov.uk