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Norfolk Homes: Setting standards in sustainable house building
An East Anglian house builder is embarking on a landmark development project with a renewed focus on sustainability, backed by a £15 million loan facility from Lloyds Clean Growth Financing Initiative.
Read time: 4 mins Added: 09/10/25
When a new bypass opened after decades of delays, it represented the culmination of years of collaboration with local stakeholders by house builder Norfolk Homes. The developer had been working with the local council and other community groups to help deliver the much-needed bypass, which would relieve congestion in the town of Long Stratton and open the door to the development of hundreds of much-needed new homes.
The 2.4-mile bypass finally opened to traffic in 2025, marking the start of a new era of opportunity for the developer, which helped fund the £46.9 million infrastructure project, alongside the Department for Transport and Greater Norwich Growth Board. Now Norfolk Homes has started work on an initial tranche of 600 houses, accessed through the bypass, which will be part of its wider Long Stratton project, which will ultimately include a total of 1,875 homes.
James Nicholls Managing Director, Norfolk HomesOther developers have tried to deliver this project in the past, but it is now a reality. The market has been very challenging in recent years, with inflation, the cost of borrowing, stamp duty increases and planning red tape all presenting barriers for first-time buyers, movers, investors and developers. As such, it is taking longer and longer between finding a parcel of land and actually getting spades in the ground. However, this all just makes it even more satisfying when we do finally get the outcome we have been striving for on a project.
Committed to quality
And sustainability has always been a top priority for Norfolk Homes. All of its recent developments have achieved an Energy Performance Certificate rating of B, a classification that is only given to highly efficient properties that help minimise a household’s carbon footprint and reduce energy bills. But now the developer is to ramp up its environmental ambitions even further with a pledge that all the homes in its new phase of developments will be EPC A rated – the highest achievable. According to government data from The Home Builders’ Federation, just one in 10 new homes achieved an EPC A rating during 2024.
It’s a move that recognises the need for new homes across the country, but also the need to reduce the environmental impact of households, which generate around a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions, according to the latest government data. To achieve an EPC A rating, homes must achieve near zero carbon emissions, incorporating energy-saving technologies like heat pumps and solar panels.
JamesSomething that I am very aware of is that, as the house building industry evolves, we as a company have to evolve too. We are not chasing growth at all costs, as this would simply dilute the quality of the homes we build and which we are fiercely proud of. We have been able to maintain good sales rates, over and above our competitors, thanks to the quality of our homes.
JamesThe last 40 years have shown that success comes as a byproduct of the product that is delivered and the environment that is created. Our long-standing relationship with Lloyds has been fundamental to that success; without the support and services Lloyds provide us with, we wouldn’t be where we are today.
A blueprint for funding sustainable business
To help fund its strategy, Norfolk Homes has agreed a pioneering new funding model with Lloyds’ Clean Growth Financing Initiative, which offers discounted lending to support investments in sustainable business, including reducing emissions, improving energy efficiency and cutting waste. The £15 million, five-year Revolving Credit Facility will support the development of more than 3,700 high-specification, sustainable homes across four sites in Norfolk.
Gareth Denning, Relationship Director at Lloyds, said: “Our first Green Revolving Credit Facility in Mid-Corporate marks a major step forward in our sustainable finance journey. Norfolk Homes has banked with us for more than 30 years and during that time has always demonstrated a clear and consistent commitment to sustainable development. This new £15 million facility is a standout example of how we can support clients to go further and faster on sustainability, while also delivering real commercial value.
“It’s a blueprint for how we want to do business going forward and it supports the creation of greener communities in Norfolk – driving better energy efficiency, reducing emissions and enhancing long-term resilience in the housing sector.”