Clarion promotes 7,500-home Norfolk settlement

Clarion Housing Group, the UK’s largest social landlord, has today unveiled plans to create a thriving new community in Honingham, Norfolk with the potential for up to 7,500 homes.

The project will be Clarion’s largest and most ambitious since it formed.

The Group has agreed a land promotion agreement on 368-hectare site eight miles west of Norwich, on which 4,000 homes could be built over the next two decades, with an additional 3,600 homes delivered over the following 15 years.

The scheme will have a mix of tenures including social rented, shared ownership, private sale, build-to-rent and potentially self-build homes.

As the masterplanner and lead developer, Clarion would deliver 50 per cent of the homes at Honingham and the on-site infrastructure. The new settlement – which will follow garden community design principles - will also have a new country park, employment space and nature reserve. 

Richard White, Director of Land and Planning for Clarion Housing Group, said:

“We are absolutely committed to playing our part in tackling this country’s acute housing crisis and our aim to deliver 50,000 new homes over a decade."

“At Clarion, we have moved away from the traditional model for housing associations of relying on Section 106 agreements with housebuilders. Our approach to development focusses on buying land ourselves or in partnerships and securing major strategic land opportunities, such as Honingham.”

Clarion’s strong local presence 

Today’s announcement follows several significant land deals by the Group. At Sherford, Devon, Clarion is building 1,500 homes in a joint venture with Bovis Homes and at Salford Quays it plans to deliver 272 new apartments.

Clarion has a strong local presence, with almost 5,000 homes either owned or managed in Norwich and the surrounding area. The Group is also a major employer in the region, with more than 400 staff based in its Norwich office.

Clarion is consulting local stakeholders on its plans for Honingham and aims to submit a planning application next year.