National housing and regeneration body, the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has announced plans for an innovative long-term partnership deal with Norwich City Council, as one of the outcomes from its new business process, the Single Conversation.

Speaking at the CIH Conference in Harrogate, Terry Fuller, HCA regional director for the East of England, outlined details of the strategic partnering agreement, that will result in innovative approaches to joint working, creating a supply of new homes and jobs over a 12-year period.

Under the deal, the HCA will invest £7.5million into the city, while Norwich City Council will invest a number of sites amounting to circa 1300 homes around the city that will be jointly developed. The surplus that comes out of these sites could reach between £60-80million over the next 12 years, and will be reinvested jointly into more regeneration schemes in the city.

The strategic objectives for the Partnership have been agreed as follows:

*To accelerate the delivery of affordable homes
*To increase the supply of private homes
*To improve the quality of existing homes
*To maximise the opportunities for local employment
*To deliver early outputs
*To create sustainable communities
*To deliver strategic regeneration projects within Norwich, such as eco-retrofit programmes or estate renewal

Terry Fuller said: “We have been in dialogue with Norwich City Council for the past four months, as part of our Single Conversation, and I now believe we have an outstanding deal on the table. I want to thank the hard work and commitment of the Norwich and HCA staff in bringing this together so quickly.

"This initiative has the potential to deliver a wide range of benefits to the City and its people for decades to come. It’s is about reimagining the way we deliver - creating local homes, local jobs and sustainable communities for the future, and demonstrates what the HCA and local authorities can do in partnership together.”

Leader of Norwich City Council Steve Morphew added: “This is exactly the kind of news Norwich needs - new homes people can afford to rent and buy, real long term investment in our city that will lead to jobs and prosperity and major influence over the quality of our environment.

"This is an historic partnership between two public sector organisations that will use public assets and lever in private money. The unique benefits that all the money and any profits made remains to be invested in Norwich is a stunning shot in the arm for the city.”

It is anticipated that the partners in Norwich will sign the contract on specific sites and schemes by early autumn 2009.