BROADLAND HOUSING WINS PRESTIGIOUS PLANNING INDUSTRY AWARD FOR DISTRICT-WIDE NORTH NORFOLK HOUSING STRATEGY
Broadland Housing has been named winner in the ‘Excellence in Planning to Deliver Homes – small schemes’ category at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2021.
Broadland’s award-winning North Norfolk district-wide Affordable Homes Strategy used changes in national planning policy to link five mixed-tenure schemes (Binham, Trunch, Erpingham, Edgefield and Great Ryburgh) in one Section 106 Agreement. Market homes sales subsidised the delivery of 61 affordable homes in an area with a chronic affordable housing shortage.
The Broadland scheme designs complement the local rural landscape and use authentic building materials. The quality of the planning has helped to build inclusive, sustainable communities, with no visible difference between the social rent and open market homes, reducing the stigma often associated with affordable housing.
The RTPI Awards are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry. Running for over 40 years, they celebrate exceptional examples of planning and the contribution planners make to society.
Broadland worked closely with partners North Norfolk District Council, Bidwell’s, Ingleton Wood, Hudson’s, Rossi Long, RG Carter, Wellington Construction and H Smith Honingham to achieve the strategy. The project is also a finalist in the 2021 Inside Housing awards. Previously it was the RTPI Eastern region winner.
The RTPI champions the power of planning in creating prosperous places and vibrant communities. It is the only body in the UK that confers Chartered status to planners, the highest professional qualification sought after by employers. It supports its members – over 26,000 worldwide – throughout their careers.
Quotes
Andrew Savage, executive development director at Broadland Housing Association
“We are delighted to have been part of this RTPI award. Our development team and external partners work tirelessly to continue the supply of affordable housing in Norfolk and north Suffolk. It’s fantastic to get national recognition for delivering a very local solution.”
Iain Hill, partner at Bidwell’s
“It’s a fantastic result for Broadland Housing, and we’re glad to be part of the project team. It’s great that a scheme in north Norfolk has gained recognition nationwide - particularly one which highlights the benefits that can delivered for rural communities when all parties have a shared vision and adopt a collaborative approach.”
Paul Pitcher, managing director at Wellington Construction
“We are delighted to have been part of the award-winning partnership which has provided so many high quality, much-needed affordable homes across North Norfolk. As a locally-based firm, we take great pride in building top quality affordable homes in the region. Not only does it provide much-needed homes for local people, but it creates local employment as well.”
Jonathan Smith, director at H Smith Honingham
“Huge congratulations to Broadland for winning the Royal Town Planning Institute 2021 Award for Planning Excellence. Our experience of Broadband tells us they always look at the bigger picture and work with partners to establish long term relationships and we are pleased that this approach has been recognised at the National RTPI Awards with well-deserved recognition of their can-do attitude.”
Chris Stammers, architect and director at Ingleton Wood
“We are thrilled to be part of this excellent and award-winning collaboration – nationally recognised for breaking the mould to deliver high-quality rural affordable homes across north Norfolk. We worked together with local communities and the wider project team as part of a positive design and consultation process to maximise the provision of affordable homes in areas that desperately need them.”
RTPI president Wei Yang FRTPI
“I would like to congratulate all of the winners at this year’s RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence who have demonstrated how planning is an essential public service for our community. The winners have acted beyond boundaries to make positive and impactful changes - a perfect way of showing the world the positive role planners play in our society.
“The fact the even during the pandemic we received so many entries is a testament to how the planning profession across the UK and around the world has stepped up to deliver innovative, place-based solutions to the challenges of health and wellbeing, climate change and the biodiversity decline, as well as housing and economic growth.”
Dyan Currie HonMRTPI, chief planner of Brisbane City Council and chair of the judging panel
“With the world facing significant complex challenges, planning has become more important than ever before. The quality of entries in this year’s awards was outstanding and the judges remain confident of the future of the profession during these challenging times.”