Join the Norwich Renter’s Collective in telling Norwich City Council to make good on their affordable housing promises.
In the coming weeks, Norwich City Councillors will have the important task of voting on the Anglia Square development – one of the largest developments in East Anglia. This includes a proposal to develop 1,100, mostly unaffordable, housing units – a decision that will impact the lives of Norwich residents for decades to come.
In the current cost of living crisis, with high inflation, stagnating wages and energy bills spiralling out of control, truly affordable housing is more important than ever. Across the country, private rental costs have increased drastically and Norwich is no exception, with an average increase of 15% over the past two years. Renters cannot afford this.
The current Anglia Square proposal offers just 10% affordable homes and hundreds of unaffordable one-bedroom flats. This is letting down local people who need affordable housing and breaches the council’s own local policy, JCS4, which states that developments of over 16 units should offer 33% affordable housing.
With stagnating wages, unmanageable energy bills and with inflation at an all-time high, we need councillors to stand up for truly affordable housing in Norwich more than ever.
As residents of Norwich, we urge councillors to:
- vote against this application when it comes to the planning committee
- ensure all future developments approved by the council meet, at least, the 33% affordability criteria
- prioritise truly affordable and social housing for Norwich