I'm a Samphire Tenant
We want to provide you as much reassurance as we can and be as clear as possible about what you can expect if the plans for the Abbey Estate are approved.
We’re committed to you. We want to continue to work with you, and support you, in the coming months and years. You can find out what our commitment looks like below and in our promise.
If your home is affected by demolition
If you are a Samphire Homes tenant and your home on the Abbey Estate is affected by demolition, you will have a choice depending on whether you would like to stay or leave the Abbey Estate. We promise you the following:
If you decide to stay on the Abbey Estate:
We promise you a new replacement home on the Abbey Estate, at no additional cost. The size of this home will be based on what you need at the time. We promise that you’ll keep your tenancy rights.
If you decide to move:
We promise to support you in bidding for a new home that is suitable for your needs through Key Select. We’re working with Breckland to support you in this process. This can take some time so we will give you plenty of notice to register.
Whichever decision you make, we’ll continue to manage and maintain your home in the meantime.
There are a few pieces of compensation that you could be entitled to which will be dependent on your individual situation, and therefore we will talk to you in more detail closer to the time.
Disturbance Payment
This payment is to cover reasonable costs you may face as part of the process, such as moving costs.*
Home Loss Payment
This payment is to compensate you for having to lose your home at a time not of your choosing. This payment, typically £8,100, is a prescribed flat rate, which is set by the government. However, this may be subject to change due to changes in legislation and your individual circumstances.
*If you need to move more than once, for example from your current home to a temporary home and then to your new home, the disturbance compensation payment will cover this.
If your garage is affected by demolition
If you are a Samphire tenant on the Abbey Estate, but only your garage attached to your home is affected by demolition, we will work with you to provide alternatives to the things affected, such as storage.
If you need to move temporarily
Whether or not your home is affected by the demolition, you may still need to move temporarily whilst work is taking place. If this happens, we will work with you to move you to somewhere which is suitable for you and your family, in an area that is accessible for you. You may also be entitled to the following compensation:
Disturbance Payment
This payment is to cover reasonable costs you may face as part of the process, such as moving costs.*
*If you need to move more than once, for example from your current home to a temporary home and then to your new home, the disturbance compensation payment will cover this.
Helping you move
We know that these kinds of improvements can often be uncertain and unsettling for people, and that some residents may need a bit of extra help when it comes to packing and moving. We will speak to you individually about your needs and work with you to provide physical and financial support to make moving as straightforward as possible.
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Extra Support
We understand that everyone’s personal circumstances are different, and some people may need more support than others. If there’s anything that you need, please get in touch and let us know so that we can work together to find a way of supporting you.
Independent advice and support
Alongside this, you can speak to the Independent Tenants and Leaseholders Advisor, John Morris. John is employed by CADAT (Citizens Advice Diss, Thetford & District) to act on behalf of all residents.
| You can contact John on: |
| 07843 780602 |
| john@itla-abbeyestate.com |
Consultations
We will continue to meaningfully consult with you so that we can shape the future of the Abbey Estate, together. As you know, we’ve been speaking to residents of the Abbey Estate for the last five years – listening to what people like, don’t like and what changes they’d like to see in the future. And this will continue to happen over the years to come to shape what the future of your community looks like.
We also promise...
We will make no profit; any extra will go towards providing more homes for people in need
We will absolutely not make any profit out of the plans for the Abbey Estate. Any extra money will go towards providing affordable homes and creating sustainable communities. We are doing this to make a difference, not for money.
Nobody will be worse off financially as a result of any proposed changes
We want to make things better on the Abbey Estate, not worse for residents. As part of this, we will make sure that nobody is out of pocket because of any changes and improvements that are carried out.
What this means is that we will remain compensation code compliant - the rights to compensation and the procedures for assessing the correct amount of compensation are governed by the ‘compensation code’ which brings together legislation, case law and established practice.
We will discuss with you each individually what the compensation offer looks like for you as this will vary depending on your individual circumstances. Alongside this, we will also cover things like helping you with moving home and any extra fees you may incur in the move.
We will continue to manage and maintain your home, dealing with repairs and addressing your property needs
We are here to support you in taking care of your home, including any repairs and ongoing maintenance. If you have any outstanding repairs, please contact our team. For questions or issues related to your tenancy, including logging a repair, click here. To report an emergency repair, please call 0808 169 9301.
Samphire Tenant FAQs
If I choose to stay, will my new home be on the Abbey Estate?
Yes. We want as many people as possible who currently live on the Abbey Estate to stay.
Will new homes be smaller than existing homes?
The rules about building homes have changed since the Abbey Estate was built, and standard house sizes are actually now larger than they were back then. New homes will be built using the modern ways of construction. This means that walls let less noise in from neighbours, and rooms stay warmer in winter, helping to reduce energy bills.
Will the rents for the new properties be the same as the existing rents?
If you’re a Samphire tenant moving into a like-for-like home, there will be no change to your rent levels – aside from any government applied rent increases that apply for all tenants - and you will keep all your tenancy rights.
Will there be additional charges introduced?
No, there won’t be any additional charges introduced.
How will you make sure that there is enough parking?
We want to offer as many parking spaces as we can and provide all of the other things that you told us you would like to see in your community. We aim to provide a variety of parking spaces close to your home, with the number of spaces per property depending on the size of your home.
Where will I live while my new home is being built?
Construction of new homes can take anywhere between 12 to 24 months. If you choose to stay on the Abbey Estate and have a new replacement home, we will help temporarily rehouse you whilst the building work is in progress. This will not be of any additional cost to you. We know this will mean moving, but we’ll work with you to make sure the temporary home is suitable for you and your family and in an area that is accessible for you.
Will room sizes in the new properties be like-for-like?
Although any new homes will be the same size, if not bigger than the existing ones, the layouts may be different and therefore the room sizes may differ too. We’re also looking to make sure there is better insultation within the new homes and that storage is improved too which may also impact the size of the rooms.