23 Nov Affordable housing strategy scoops major East of England planning award
An innovative approach to affordable housing delivery in North Norfolk has been declared the overall winner at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) East of England Regional Awards for 2020.
The award for the North Norfolk District-Wide Affordable Housing Strategy, submitted by Broadland Housing Association, was announced during a ceremony this week hosted on YouTube.
The strategy has created 61 affordable homes in five rural locations across the region by generating proceeds through the development of homes at market price.
Andrew Savage, Executive Development Director at Broadland Housing Association, said: “These new homes showcase mixed-tenure schemes in a community setting. We are truly proud of the communities that have been created, partly due to the holistic approach in design and planning. We want to thank our partners, Bidwells, Ingleton Wood, Hudson’s, Rossi Long, RG Carter, Wellington Construction and H Smith Honingham, without whose help we would not have been able to deliver these amazing new homes in rural Norfolk.”
Chair of the Judges Panel David Potter MRTPI (Rtd) said: “We were very impressed with this novel and very successful approach to tackling the difficult and urgent problem of providing affordable housing in rural areas. The judges concluded this careful management and collaborative working arrangement should be commended.”
Planning consultancy ADP also received a commendation from the judges for Summers Park, a development in the Essex village of Lawford featuring 150 new homes plus offices, community open space and a multi-use games area. In particular, the judges mentioned the ‘proactive and positive engagement process undertaken in the planning, consultation and design stages’.
The RTPI East of England Awards for Planning Excellence shine a spotlight on the very best planning projects in the region, recognising outstanding projects that demonstrate the power of planning in transforming communities.
Thursday’s virtual event in the East of England was one of a series of ceremonies organised by the RTPI’s English regions across the week.
Broadland Housing Association will join other overall winners from the regions at the RTPI’s prestigious national Awards for Planning Excellence, scheduled for April 2021.
