Design revisions to the 34-home scheme respond to comments from heritage organisations and the planning authority seeking to accommodate this landmark project within the setting of the Norwich Northern Riverside Conservation Area.

Formed in 2008 and now with 33 member households, Angel Yard Cohousing bought the site in Norwich Over the Water, north of Norwich city centre, in 2015 with the aim of developing a diverse, multigenerational community founded on the principles of shared amenity, neighbourly support and environmental responsibility that are the bedrock of cohousing.

The design aims to celebrate Norwich’s built heritage, whilst also delivering a project for future living. Buildings are laid out in three blocks around the site perimeter, reinstating the historic street edge and wrapping around the central shared garden, echoing the traditional ‘yard’ typology that is distinctive to Norwich and which once occupied the site. From the garden, residents can access the Common House and other shared facilities. A shared access walkway, balconies, and the roof terraces of a row of terraced houses look over the central garden.

Residents will have their own self-contained homes and shared facilities including:

• a Common House with kitchen and flexible common room where members can share meals and socialise;
• laundry facilities;
• guest rooms, which reduces the need for spare rooms in people’s homes
• a ‘library of things’ including tools, equipment and everyday household items;
• sustainable transport options including a car pool and cargo bikes;
• a large communal garden to relax and play in, and an allotment nearby to grow food.

The proposed 34 homes range from one-bed apartments to three-bed houses and include two affordable homes for rent for adults with learning disabilities, utilising the supportive environment cohousing communities can offer people taking steps towards independent living. Members of Angel Yard Cohousing have said:

Rowan Riley and Martha Baulcome:

“We are keen to bring up our family in a shared community with all the benefits of having plenty of other adults about and a big garden for the children to play in. After a busy working day, it will be great to have a shared meal available from time to time.”

Peter and Cathy Nicholls:

“We found Angel Yard when we walked past the sign on the site’s fencing. It is perfect for us, we want to ‘tread lightly on the planet’ in a mutually-supportive, outward-looking community.”

Richard Crosby:

“I am looking forward to down-sizing, sharing stuff and owning less, knowing my neighbours, being part of a like-minded group.”

TOWN were appointed development manager by Angel Yard Cohousing in 2018, following the success of Marmalade Lane Cohousing in Cambridge, and led a process with Angel Yard members and the design team to develop plans for a scheme which reflects members’ vision for sustainable, neighbourly living. Taking a ‘fabric first’ approach, the scheme aims to meet the Passivhaus Classic criteria, reducing energy demand. Renewable energy from air source heat pumps and solar photovoltaic panels will provide low-carbon energy.

Neil Murphy, Director at TOWN said:

“Norwich City Council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019, and the Norwich Vision for 2040 sets out their aspirations for a liveable city that supports and promotes sustainable living. We envisage Angel Yard to be a significant project for the city, bringing forward a high-quality, low-energy scheme that responds to local people’s demands for more sustainable housing options.

The project has all the ingredients to set a precedent for sustainable neighbourhood living. The brownfield site’s close proximity to the city centre means we can deliver a low-car, form-efficient urban courtyard block. At the heart of the project are the cohousing group, who have championed the sustainable ambitions of the scheme and will be living there to realise them.”

Mellis Haward, Director of architects Archio said:

“Co-designing Angel Yard with the future residents of this intergenerational housing scheme has been a true privilege. The site is in an area of Norwich changing rapidly from industrial to residential led use and it will be of enormous benefit to the area to have a group of people with a long-term commitment to living here and a strong sense of community.

Our approach seeks to make the most of this prominent and sustainable brownfield site with a design that creates a superb cohousing environment while honouring and enhancing the local townscape.”

The mutually supportive environment will be a benefit to all, reducing feelings of loneliness and by encouraging interaction in everyday life and increasing people’s wellbeing.

Owen Jarvis, CEO of UK Cohousing Network:

“We’re delighted to see another cohousing scheme reach this significant milestone, adding to growing numbers across the UK. Angel Yard Cohousing will be an exemplar scheme for cohousing groups nationwide, and unique in its urban setting. The project is a testament to the members’ collective role in the design, development and ongoing stewardship of their future homes.”

Norwich City Council has been unable to grant planning permission to new residential developments following Natural England’s May 2022 advice on Nutrient Neutrality. We are pleased that Angel Yard has been identified as a priority site for the council through their Water Usage Retrofitting Mitigation scheme.

The planning application (22/00762/F ) has been widely supported, and consultation will end on 12th September 2023.