“Bitter blow” as funding withdrawn
Funding for the city’s first new council homes in 20 years has been pulled. Some of the homes were due to be built on Stafford Street.
Norwich City Council was set to get more than £600,000 from the Homes & Communities Agency (HCA) to fund 11 homes, to be built on two garage sites in Stafford Street and Bowers Avenue. Housing development officers had begun discussions with architects’ firms around how to deliver these homes to meet high eco-standards.
Councillor Brenda Arthur, (Lab, University) executive member for housing and adult services said: “The news that the coalition government has taken the decision not to honour this funding allocation is, of course, a very bitter disappointment. We are determined, however, to not let this have a negative impact on our residents at a time when the demand for social housing is greater than ever before.
Our housing development team will continue to work to make sure that these new affordable homes are built, even if they are not in our ownership.”
One of the ways the council works to meet the city’s housing need is via the Delivering Affordable Housing Partnership (DAHP). Since its creation in 2005, the DAHP – currently made up of Norwich City Council, Broadland Housing Association, Circle Anglia, Flagship Housing and Lovell Partnerships Ltd – has delivered more than 150 affordable homes, has 50 currently under construction and another 174 in the pipeline.
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