Your questions, answered

In January 2023, we sent out a letter which gave more information about what you could expect from any work taking place. In this letter, we also let you know whether your home would be affected. If you would like a copy of this letter, please get in touch; we are always happy to have a 121 conversation with any resident, so please get in touch if you would like to talk to a member of the team.

Currently, all streets are part of the illustrative masterplan. However, any work will be carried out in phases. What we do in each phase will be shaped by the conversations we have with you. For each phase, we’ll be required to submit a separate ‘reserved matters application’ (which is a separate stage of planning permission, confirming what a design will look like) which means that we’ll need to apply for permission for what’s due to be done in each phase.

As we haven’t developed that detail with you yet, we can’t say for sure what the design of each phase (or the size of each phase) will look like at the moment, but we think there will be approximately 10 phases, and each phase will take between 1.5 and 2 years to complete.

In November 2022, during our exhibition events, we sent you our brochure ‘A Design for The Abbey’. You can see that brochure here.

The illustrative masterplan for the Abbey has been shaped by your feedback, and the work we’ve carried out to better understand your community. This illustrative masterplan – which is based on the feedback you’ve shared with us since 2019 including through the consultation in 2021 –  includes as many of the things you have said you wanted as possible. This is because we have always wanted to unite not divide the community by any improvements.

From over 2,000 responses during the consultation, we found out that residents would like to see:

• Better transport links via The Lane
• A new Neighbourhood Heart which includes a new park and community centre
• Better connections to the town centre along Potters Path, as well as better connections to the river and the forest
• Improved green spaces within the back greens
• Improvements to street scenes, which include better parking and lighting across the Abbey.

As we’ve said, the illustrative masterplan simply sets out a vision for what could happen on the Abbey - the detail of what we do in each phase will be shaped by conversations with you.

In 2024, the illustrative masterplan will be submitted to Breckland Council for outline planning permission: this is when we get permission to do something but the detail of what we do isn’t confirmed.

A project of this size must be carried out in a number of phases, and at each phase, we will speak to residents and have 121 conversations so that we can work together to come up with the detailed design for each phase.

In November 2022, we sent out brochure of ‘A Design for The Abbey’ - you can see that brochure here. The illustrative masterplan is a document that shows what’s possible for the Abbey and has been developed as a result of the four-stage consultation that took place. During this consultation, 2,095 surveys were completed and we had many more conversations with residents.

This illustrative masterplan aims to tackle the issues that residents have told us about and bring the improvements that people would like to see. For example, 75% of respondents at step four of the consultation process said they liked the idea of the new neighbourhood centre. Through the engagement and consultation we have carried out, we have worked to come up with an illustrative masterplan that includes as many of the improvements that people want to see as possible.

At each phase, we will speak to local people to develop the detailed design for each phase. This means that whilst the illustrative masterplan we have come up with provides an overall vision for the Abbey, the detail of what we do in each phase and on each road will be shaped by talking and listening to you. See the proposed phasing document here.

If your home is affected, you will have a choice and the option chosen would depend on whether you decide you want to stay on the Abbey. If you would like to stay, we would provide you with a new replacement home. If you would like to leave the Abbey, we would look to buy your home at a fair market value at the time.

Fair market value will be assessed against market values at that time.

Fair market value will be assessed when work begins on your phase of the design. We will work with you directly on a 121 basis.

To our knowledge home prices haven't been affected, however, an independent surveyor will assess fair market value, taking into consideration whether ongoing regeneration is a factor.  

Our Abbey Promise states that: everyone will be entitled to at least a fair market value for their home, and possibly a replacement option, in the event that demolition takes place.

In our letter that we sent out in January 2023, we said: We want as many people as possible who currently live on the Abbey, to stay. That's why we're offering a replacement home to those affected so that people who want to stay, can do so.

In our Abbey Promise we have said that: everyone will be entitled to be rehoused in a new/ refurbished home, of appropriate size to meet your needs.

On a like-for-like basis, we will not build any homes that are smaller than existing homes on the Abbey. The rules about building homes have changed since the Abbey was built, and standard house sizes are actually now larger than they were back then. If homes are replaced, we will replace them on a like-for-like basis with the aim of meeting local housing needs.

Technology for retrofitting home is evolving all the time and we will assess on a phase-by-phase basis, through further engagement and consultation, what improvements we can make to existing homes. We already have a programme ongoing to improve all Flagship homes to at least EPC level C by 2030, and that will be part of the project.

Much of the retrofit improvement work won’t require planning permission, and so hasn’t been included in the illustrative masterplan, but we don’t want to leave anyone behind in the general plans for the Abbey, so we are proposing improvements to the houses that are already here. We aim to get as much of this done from the outside, so residents can keep on living in their house whilst the works are carried out.

The improvements you might see include things such as new wall finishes, new entrance canopies, new entrance doors, and new wall and loft insultation. We will speak to residents about what we can do to improve existing homes when we have 121 conversations with people in each of the different phases.

We want to make things better on the Abbey, not worse for residents and we will make sure that nobody is out of pocket because of any changes and improvements that are carried out. What this means is that we will cover things like helping with moving home and any extra fees you may incur in the move.

If residents choose to leave and take the offer of fair market value, then all additions will be covered within the property value at the time by an independent surveyor.

We can offer help in a range of ways, such as helping with moving home and any extra fees you may incur in the move. We will work with residents directly on a 121 basis to make sure you get the right support that you need. We will make sure that nobody is out of pocket because of any changes and improvements that are carried out.

We can assure you that we will remain compensation code compliant (the rights to compensation and the procedures for assessing the correct amount of compensation are governed by a combination of legislation, case law and established practice called the ‘compensation code’).

This means that individual compensation offers will be part of the discussion with you at the point where we will be seeking a detailed planning application for your street.

No, there won’t be any additional charges introduced.

If anyone decides to take a larger home, the rent will be in proportion to the property.

In our Abbey Promise we have said that we want to make things better on the Abbey, not worse for residents and we will make sure that nobody is out of pocket because of any changes and improvements that are carried out.

On a like-for-like basis, if you’re a Samphire tenant, there will be no change to your rent levels – aside from any government applied rent increases that apply for all tenants - and you will keep all your tenancy rights.

If you own your home, mortgage-free, and choose to stay on the Abbey, we’ll give you a like-for-like replacement home, without the need for a mortgage.

If you own your home and don’t have a mortgage, and you are offered a replacement home on the Abbey, you will not have to pay rent on that property.

We know that these kinds of improvements can often be uncertain and unsettling for people, and more so perhaps for some residents who may need a bit of extra help, for example, help with packing and moving. Which is why we are here to offer support as needed. We will find out what help residents need and we’ll be there on a 121 basis throughout the process, making it as smooth and as stress-free as it can be.

If anyone feels that they need extra support, they can get in touch with us. We will also ask residents what support they need during our 121 conversations in each phase.

There are many benefits that local people can expect as a result of the improvements. There will be:

• High quality homes (safe, warm, affordable, smart)
• A more diverse mix of property sizes (different bedroom spaces)
• More affordable tenure choices
• High quality open space and green space
• Warm and welcoming streets that are easy to use and move around in
• More play opportunities for children and young people
• More facilities for the community
• More homes overlooking streets and routes, meaning that these feel safer to use
• Buildings which are attractive and fit in with the overall look of the Abbey
• Green spaces becoming places where there are benefits for nature and where local people can stop, meet, and play.

The improvements will tackle the issues that residents have told us about and will make the Abbey an even better place to live. The improvements will result in many social and community benefits:

• There will be more opportunities for residents to interact
• The design will help to tackle anti-social behaviour problems
• The existing sense of community which is already strong will be strengthened further
• There will be benefits to residents’ health and wellbeing
• Resident concerns around feeling unsafe on the estate will be addressed, and there will be a better sense of safety
• The design will help to tackle fly tipping and littering issues
• Residents will have more choices of things to do in their local community
• Residents will feel better connected to the town centre
• There will be more employment opportunities for local people, including through the improvement work itself.

The way the existing Abbey has been designed means that it is a space where problems such as anti-social behaviour and fly tipping can thrive. Many parts of the estate such as the parking courts, footpaths and some of the green spaces are poorly overlooked and lit giving opportunities for antisocial behaviour to take place and for fly-tipping to occur.

The illustrative masterplan aims to tackle these issues by making sure that all new homes are located with front doors and windows that face on to streets and paths, that blank gables and walls are avoided wherever possible, and that back gardens aren’t next to open spaces that aren’t secure. The proposed new homes, streets and green spaces will be designed so that there are no dark or unsupervised corners or spaces where anti-social behaviour can take place.

Our experience has shown us that if a space is well used and is well overlooked this can be really key in stopping people who want to fly-tip or to behave inappropriately.

We are working with our housing team to make sure that all our tenants feel supported and are able to get the service they need.

As part of the plans we aim to open a space on the Abbey where people can find out more about the outline design, have conversations about the detailed plans, and ask questions about the work taking place.

An illustrative masterplan for the Abbey has been developed which has been shaped by your feedback, and the work we’ve carried out to better understand your community. This illustrative masterplan – which is based on the feedback you’ve shared with us since 2019 including through the consultation in 2021 –  includes as many of the things you have said you wanted as possible.

This includes improvements such as a new Neighbourhood Heart which includes a new park and community centre, better connections to the town centre along Potters Path, as well as better connections to the river and the forest as well as improvements to street scenes, with better parking and lighting across the Abbey. The illustrative masterplan also includes new homes that meet the needs of local people. These homes would be of a better quality and more efficient to run, and there would be more choice of homes.

As the illustrative masterplan just provides a vision for the Abbey, the number of new homes at the end of the regeneration project is not yet known, and will be confirmed through the engagement work and reserved matters planning permission on a phase by phase basis.

Legislation around this is changing all the time and currently, fossil fuels like gas are being phased out. We'll have a conversation with you at the time, as we'd be governed by building regulations so this level of detail will be worked out in the detailed phases. Our aim is for the new homes to be as efficient as possible and we’ll work with you to develop as many options as possible.

Throughout the four steps of consultation, 2,095 surveys were completed. In the final step in December 2021, 498 people gave their views. We found that when considering the options, most people were happy with both option 1 and option 4, and less than 25% of respondents didn’t like either of them. Here are more of the things that we found in the final step of the consultation:

• 74% of people liked the idea of making improvements to the streets with new trees and planting from option 1 and option 4
• 71% of people said they liked the idea of the garage courts being transformed into new safer spaces with new homes in both option 1 and option 4
• 66% of people said they liked the ideas surrounding the river from option 1, and 77% said they liked the improvements suggested surrounding the river in option 4
• On average, 69% of people said that they liked the idea of improvements being made to the back greens in both options
• 75% of people said they liked the idea of the new neighbourhood centre suggested in option 4.

The analysis of the consultation findings was carried out by an external company called Give My View and not by a member of the Flagship team. This was to make sure that the analysis was independent.

We will continue to communicate, engage, and consult with local people in the coming months and years, placing the community at the heart of what we do.

Regeneration is not about making any profit. Instead, it is about investing in the community and making a long term and real difference for people and communities.

The improvements proposed would require around  £250m investment over 20 years. We are unlikely to generate any profit from the regeneration, but like any projects involving new homes, any surplus will be invested back into the community, helping to fund the things you want to see such as the neighbourhood park.

We carried out an extensive consultation in four steps which saw 2,095 surveys completed. We also had many 121 conversations during this time. We listened to feedback at each step and changed the options and ideas in response.  

Before the consultation, we offered a range of opportunities for residents to share their thoughts and ideas in drop-in sessions, in 121 conversations, and online. In total, since 2019, there have been over 75 opportunities for local people to share their views.

Feedback from the extensive engagement and consultation that has been carried out shows there is a clear desire for improvements from the community.

We have always wanted to unite and not divide the community through any improvements which is why a public ballot has not been carried out and nor is one proposed. Instead our focus has been on working together with residents to bring the improvements the community needs and wants. We know that carrying out a ballot can divide communities.

The consultation and engagement we have carried out so far is just the beginning. We will continue to communicate, engage, and consult with local people in the coming months and years, placing the community at the heart of what we do.

In 2024, the illustrative masterplan will be submitted to Breckland Council for outline planning permission: this is when we get permission to do something but the detail of what we do isn’t confirmed. A planning decision can take up to a year.

We will also begin to have conversations on a 121 basis in 2024 with residents so we can start to understand what people would like in their area.

We don’t expect work to start for 3-4 years.