Angel Yard co-housing scheme in Norwich gets green light

But city folk living near the proposed site are furious the scheme has been approved saying that none of the neighbours want it and they hoped it would not go ahead. 

Under the plans, 34 homes will be built on the corner of Sussex Street and Oak Street in NR3 on derelict land. 

Plans for the site were submitted to Norwich City Council in 2022 (Image: TOWN)

Although people will live in private homes they will share kitchens, living spaces and gardens.

ANGEL YARD

In 2015 Angel Yard was created when a group of people purchased the former industrial land in Sussex Street, followed shortly afterwards by more land in Oak Street to create an L-shaped plot.A view of what the new development could look like from Sussex Street (Image: TOWN) The group then teamed up with TOWN, who developed the Marmalade Lane co-housing community in Cambridge, and Archio came on board as architects for the project.

In 2022 the plans for 34 new homes spread between terraced housing and flats were submitted to Norwich City Council. It was given the green light earlier this week. 

More than 25 of the upcoming homes have been reserved and those who have shown an interest ranging in age from 0 to their late 70s, according to the website.

WHAT LOCALS SAY

But people living near the site are angry that the plans have been given the go-ahead.

Margaret Payne, 79, said: "None of us want it.

Margaret Payne, 79 (Image: Newsquest) "There are lots of elderly people in the area and we all feel the same. 

"We had hoped it might not happen.

"It is a quiet little area full of wildlife and that will be lost and it will cut out the light, making my home very dark once it is finished.

"They are also squeezing so much in - it will be right on the pavement. 

"I'm definitely against it."

Vanessa Wheeler, 28 (Image: Newsquest) Vanessa Wheeler, 28, said: "I rejected the plans because they are really, really big.

"It is going to affect daylight into my house and overlook my home and garden too.

"I like the idea of it, but I am worried that it is the start of more building in the area."

However, 56-year-old Helen is concerned about the level of anti-social behaviour already in the area and believes that this could make the problems worse.

A view of the derelict site from The Lathes (Image: Newsquest) She said: "There are enough social problems as it is, and it is obvious that it is just going to get worse.

"It lends itself to trouble.

"I'm really worried about it."

Not all of the local community is against the project, however.

David Harper, 67 (Image: Newsquest) David Harper, who is 67 and has lived in his home in The Lathes his entire life welcomed the news. 

He said: "That area is a real eyesore and it would be good to have something there.

"I'll be glad to see it gone and think that building there is a good idea.

"I just want it to be tidy."

WHAT DOES ANGEL YARD SAY?

Angel Yard did not respond to our request for a comment.  

However, when it looked like Norwich City Council would be approving the project last March, the group, Angel Yard co-housing representative Lucy Hall said: "Our group is absolutely delighted to have reached planning consent, we can start to imagine moving into our homes and settling in our new neighbourhood.

"Designing new homes as a group of future residents is not for the faint-hearted.

"This achievement would not have been possible without our steering group, our development managers TOWN, our architects, Archio, and a number of supporters in the community."

The site of the Angel Yard development is currently overgrown and derelict (Image: Newsquest)

DANISH-STYLE COMMUNAL HOUSING 

Co-housing is a concept that began in Denmark in the 1970s and is growing in popularity around the world, including in the UK.

According to the Angel Yard website, the residents will be living in their own homes but sharing facilities such as a laundry, workshop, communal gardens and a large hall and kitchen.

This is intended to encourage interaction and create a greater sense of community, all while cutting costs and helping people live more sustainably.