Introduction from Davina Howes
Executive director of communities and housing
It’s wonderful to see the first signs of Spring emerging, and as we move towards longer days and better weather, I would like to give you an update on some of the progress we’ve made since the last issue.
In the Autumn edition, we gave you an introduction to Awaab’s Law, which came into force in October last year. Since then, we’ve responded to more than 1,000 reports of damp and mould in line with the new regulations. This ensures we are helping to keep your homes safer and healthier.
We’ve now launched our fire door improvement programme, with plans to install more than 4,000 new flat entrance doors across all residential buildings during 2026. We have also appointed two new locally based capital works contractors who will deliver ongoing home improvements across our housing stock. You will start to see them soon and we will provide a more detailed update in the Autumn issue.
Our latest Tenant Satisfaction Measures show that 73.7% of you are satisfied with the service we provide, and this percentage puts us above the national average of 71.8%. While this is encouraging, we know there is still more to do, and we are committed to continuing this progress.
Thanks to your input and feedback, we are also introducing three new tenant engagement panels this year. These will focus on Repairs, Anti-Social Behaviour (ASB), and Building Safety. We were delighted by the number of applications we received for the first panel, and the next one will be for the ASB panel which we will be recruiting for this summer.
If you haven’t already, please take a look at our Housing Hub, which we launched last summer. It’s a great place to share your ideas and suggestions, and your feedback continues to play a vital role in helping us to continue to make improvements.
And finally, I wanted to remind you that as we are going to print for this issue, we are expecting the Secretary of State to make a decision about local government re-organisation for Norfolk by the end of March. We will keep you updated on what this means for you and the services you receive as soon as more information is available.
Fire door improvement programme
During 2026, we will be installing more than 4,000 new flat entrance fire doors across our residential buildings as part of our ongoing commitment to resident safety. Fire doors play a vital role in protecting people and homes.
When correctly installed, they are designed to resist the spread of fire and smoke, helping to keep escape routes clear and supporting the fire service in an emergency.
All replacement doors are purpose-built, rigorously tested, and installed by competent, accredited contractors in line with current fire safety regulations.
What this means for you If your door is scheduled for replacement, the fire safety team or our appointed contractors will contact you in advance to arrange a convenient appointment.
The installation is planned to minimise disruption and is typically completed within one working day, with a follow-up visit if required to complete final adjustments. Our teams will ensure your home is left safe, secure, and fully functional at the end of each visit.
Why fire doors matter
Each door is manufactured as a complete fire-resisting system and includes specialist components such as smoke and heat seals, self-closing devices, and fire-rated hardware. Together, these features help contain fire within a property for a period of time, supporting the building’s overall fire strategy.
If you would like further information about the programme, guidance on how to check your existing door, or have any questions about fire door safety, please contact the fire safety team at FireSafety@norwich.gov.uk
Before you build, have a chat with us
We know it’s tempting to personalise your home – a shed in the garden, a bit of extra storage, or dressing up a balcony. But making changes without permission can cause real problems, for you and your neighbours. Our homes are designed to meet strict safety standards. When something is added without checks, it can block fire exits, create fire risks, or affect the structure of the building. We’ve recently had to remove items from balconies, such as plastic plants and decorations, because they weren’t safe. In other cases, large garden buildings raised concerns about how they were being used.
Gas safety is especially important. Unauthorised building work can block boiler flues, interfere with pipework, or stop us carrying out annual gas safety checks. This can increase the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and is a serious breach of tenancy. There can also be legal and financial consequences, including being asked to remove the work at your own cost.
The good news is it’s easy to do the right thing. Before making any changes, contact your housing officer, put in a request, and wait for written approval.
Working together helps keep everyone safe and our communities strong.
Keeping bin areas safe and tidy
Keeping our communal bin areas tidy makes a big difference for everyone. Leaving a bag on the floor can attract pests and look untidy, so popping it in the bin helps our community feel clean and safe. Leaving bags on the floor is fly-tipping.
If you’ve got a larger item, like a mattress, there are simple ways to get rid of it – the bulky waste service can collect it, or you can take it to a Recycling Centre for free.
And batteries? They don’t belong in bins, so recycling them safely keeps us all out of harm’s way. They can be taken to most local supermarkets or a Recycling Centre.
Awaab’s Law in action: making homes safer
Awaab’s Law was introduced in October 2025 following the death of two-year-old Awaab Ishak in Rochdale, where prolonged exposure to damp and mould was found to have contributed to his death. The law places clear legal duties on social landlords to investigate and fix serious hazards within set timeframes.
Under phase one
It is already in force, landlords including us must respond quickly to reports of damp and mould. This includes carrying out inspections, starting repairs within defined timescales, and completing works promptly to make homes safe.
Since the law was introduced, reports of damp and mould to Norwich City Council have increased by nearly a third. This shows more tenants are coming forward early, helping us act sooner.
To see how we’re doing with this, visit our damp and mould pages.
We are now preparing for phase two
This next phase extends the same strict timeframes to other serious hazards in the home. These include risks linked to electrical safety and fire safety, as well as other potential dangers identified through health and safety assessments.
If you are worried about damp or mould in your home, call 0344 980 3333 (option 3, then option 3) or fill in the reporting damp and mould form.
Buzzing about Back Garden Nature project!
Norwich City Council has launched a new pilot scheme – Back Garden Nature – to transform selected underused gardens within its housing estates into thriving mini nature reserves. The project focuses on gardens that have become overgrown or difficult for tenants to manage, sometimes leading to litter or complaints. With tenant consent, the council has taken back responsibility for these spaces, with the aim of enhancing them for wildlife and supporting their ongoing care through local volunteers.
The first completed garden has been reshaped into a scrub habitat, while the recently finished second site – just south of Mousehold Heath – has been developed into a woodland type habitat. This formerly shaded, low biodiversity area now features a new glade planted with blackthorn, hawthorn, wild pear, guelder rose and spindle, alongside two on site dead hedges providing valuable overwintering shelter for insects. A third grassland/meadow site is now being sought to complete the trio of mini nature reserves.
Want to suggest an underused garden for future projects?
Send your ideas to: biodiversity@norwich.gov.uk
Give nature a hand – for simple at-home tips visit our gardening for wildlife page.
How are we doing?
We want residents to be able to see how we’re performing and hold us to account. Our Housing Highlights dashboard is updated every month and shows how we’re doing as your housing provider.
You can access it by visiting the performance page on Get talking Norwich.
The dashboard will give you lots of information including:
- How many repairs we complete on time
- How many complaints we respond to on time
- How well we manage damp and mould
- How well we keep buildings safe
- How well we deliver tenant satisfaction
Being open about our performance matters to us. Our dashboard shows where we’re making progress and where we need to do more. We hope you find it helpful. If you have any feedback, we’d really welcome hearing from you. Visit Have your say.
Tenant Satisfaction Measures – your feedback is helping us improve
Tenant Satisfaction Measures (TSMs) are national surveys that all social landlords must carry out each year. They show how tenants feel about key services, and we update our results every quarter on our Housing Highlights dashboard.
Our latest results, up to Q3 2025-26, show satisfaction is rising again, up from 71.1% to 73.7%. This is now above last year’s national average of 71.8%.
ou also told us we need to improve how we handle complaints and how well we maintain communal areas. We’re listening, and we have clear plans in place to make these services better.
For more information: www.norwich.gov.uk/tsm
- 73.7% Proportion of respondents who report that they are satisfied with the overall service (TP)
- 71.8% National average 2024-25
Get involved: join a Tenant Engagement Panel
We’re inviting tenants to help shape our housing services by joining a Tenant Engagement Panel. These tenant led groups look at how services are delivered, identify what works well and suggest improvements, giving tenants a real voice in council decisions.
You’ll receive an induction, free training, travel expenses and ongoing support. Panels meet for around two hours every six to eight weeks.
It’s a great way to gain new skills, meet other tenants, boost your CV and make a real difference for Norwich tenants.
Our repairs panel is now full after strong interest and launched in March, but you can still register for other panels.
To apply, email involvement@norwich.gov.uk or visit GetTalking.norwich.gov.uk/TenantPanel
Love where you live
Play an active role in shaping your housing services.
We are recruiting for two new ‘Tenant Engagement Panels’!
For full details and to apply visit gettalking.norwich.gov.uk/TenantPanel
TLC – your choice, your way
We want TLC to be accessible for everyone, which is why we offer both digital and printed options. Providing a digital version is more cost-effective, kinder to the environment, and gives you greater flexibility in how you receive your magazine.
In our last edition, anyone with an email preference on record received both a digital and a paper copy, so you could try the new format while still enjoying the printed version.
For this edition, we are now sending TLC based on your recorded preference. Residents with a digital preference will receive TLC via email only, and those with a paper preference will receive a printed copy only.
If you would like to check or change your preference, please log in to Housing Online, call our Customer Contact Centre on 0344 980 3333, or visit www.norwich.gov.uk/ContactUs
If you are a leaseholder and would like to change your preference to receive a paper copy, please contact us.
Supporting community gardens, whatever the weather
Last summer’s dry spell highlighted a real challenge for our community gardens and without easy access to water, residents struggled to keep crops and planting areas healthy. Unlike private gardens, these shared green spaces don’t have direct taps or hose points, making regular watering difficult and time consuming. In response to feedback from volunteers and residents, the estate management team supported the installation of 1,000 litre water butts at Bacton Road Community Orchard and Lefroy Road.
These water butts provide an accessible and sustainable supply for all gardening needs, reducing reliance on mains water and helping gardens stay productive through future dry periods. They’re an ecological, economical, and environmentally sound solution that strengthens community growing projects and supports residents to enjoy nature, develop skills and grow fresh produce together.
Martin, a resident said:
“The community gardens are an oasis for wildlife and residents, and the generous addition of jumbo water butts will make access to water much easier by collecting and storing rainfall”.
Shaping services together
Our latest engagement report for October to December 2025 is now available, and it proudly showcases how hundreds of tenants have actively helped shape housing services through surveys, consultations, estate inspections, community activities and the Housing Hub.
Your feedback has already led to real improvements, from clearer communication to neighbourhood enhancements and better service processes, but we want even more voices involved. Visit the Housing Hub to share your ideas, take part in engagement activities and help influence the future of our housing services.
Explore the full report and get involved today on the Housing Hub on Get Talking Norwich
Anglian Water update
In the Autumn 2025 edition of TLC, we explained that many tenants would be receiving a water bill rebate. Since then, we’ve applied rebates to 8,360 tenants’ rent accounts.
If this applies to you, you’ll see the rebate as a credit on your rent account. You can choose to have this paid back to you directly into your bank account by BACS if the rebate puts your rent account into credit.
Alternatively, to help keep our administration costs down, you can take a short break from paying rent until the credit has been used up, you may also find this is a quicker option than having any credit returned to your bank account.
For more information or to let us know your preference please visit www.norwich.gov.uk/waterrebate
If you are either a leaseholder or have a claim for a previous tenancy you will need to apply via a form on our website. Please check our website for updates.
From 1 April 2026 we will no longer collect water charges with your rent. Instead, you’ll pay Anglian Water directly. They’re currently setting up individual accounts, and we will be in touch soon with more details about making the switch.
Reducing your bill with a water meter
You may want to consider whether switching to a water meter could benefit your household.
Many tenants find that a water meter helps them better manage their water use and can reduce their bills, particularly if fewer people live in the property or if water use is low. It can also make it easier to track how much water you are using and avoid paying more than you need to. You can find out more and check if a meter may be suitable for your home at www.AnglianWater.co.uk/metering
Your rent and council tax
Each year rents and council tax are reviewed in line with government guidance and budget requirements. This income helps maintain and improve council homes and deliver local services, including waste and recycling, policing, and adult and children’s services.
You will have already received a letter telling you about any changes to your rent or council tax.
To help you stay in control of your bills, we offer an e-billing service. You can also pay your council tax and other regular payments by direct debit. You’ll find more info here: www.norwich.gov.uk/homepage/online-accounts
How the council tax is allocated:
- Norfolk County Council 74%
- Police incept 14%
- Norwich City Council 12%
For cost-of-living support visit www.norwich.gov.uk/cost-living-support
New contractors appointed for home improvements
Ongoing improvement to residents’ homes are set to continue with the news that Mullaley & Co Ltd and CLC contractors Ltd have been appointed as our new planned works contractors. These new partnerships will deliver the council’s housing improvement programmes including new kitchens, new bathrooms, electrical upgrades, roofing works and heating upgrades.
Both organisations also offer great expertise in renewable technologies like air source heat pumps and solar panels, which will be increasingly installed in residents’ homes as we move away from fossil fuel heating systems.
CLC will cover the north and east within Catton Grove, Mile Cross, Sewell, Mancroft, Crome and Thorpe Hamlet.
Mulalley will operate in the south and west of the city within Bowthorpe, Wensum, University, Nelson, Town Close, Eaton and Lakenham.
Bruce Benson, Mulalley construction division managing director, said:
“We are delighted to enter this 10-year partnership with Norwich City Council. Mulalley is committed to delivering investment that not only enhances homes but strengthens communities.
We look forward to working closely with the council, residents, and local partners to ensure this programme leaves a lasting legacy of improved living standards, reduced carbon impact and opportunities for local people.”
Richard Fleet, CLC head of operations, said:
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to continue our working relationship with Norwich City Council. As a local organisation known throughout East Anglia as a highly trusted contractor, we are proud to provide residents of Norwich with the reassurance that works in their homes will be carried out by our skilled local labour force, supported by a dedicated team of professionals.”
For more information about our new contractors visit www.Mulalley.co.uk and www.clcGroup.com
