Long Meadow. Bringing sustainable, energy efficient homes to Diss

The concept of the development at Long Meadow was to build sustainable energy efficient houses that could be bought by local people. It was innovative both in terms of the form of construction (Hemcrete) and the form of tenure (Discounted Market Sale).  28 homes have been completed and occupied.

Unfortunately there was insufficient support from the mainstream mortgage market for the remainder of the development to be completed using Discounted Market Sale as originally envisaged.  Czero therefore worked with South Norfolk Council’s planning officers on an alternative scheme which was in line with the original ethos of the development, protected the affordability in perpetuity as far as possible, but also improved mortgagability using a mixture of affordable rent, shared ownership and equity loans.

On 20th June 2012 South Norfolk Council’s planning committee refused Czero’s application for the revised scheme on the basis that the contributions payable in respect of local infrastructure from such a scheme were insufficient, compared with what could originally have been generated by Discounted Market Sale.  The Committee rated financial return above affordability for local people.  Richard Bacon MP wrote a letter urging refusal of the application.