intermediate rent, as well as discounted market sales and other affordable routes to home ownership like shared ownership or first homes.
13.4. Since 2020, several factors have been contributed to a lower-than-expected delivery of affordable housing. These include the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and the introduction of new planning requirements such as Biodiversity Net Gain regulations and Nutrient Neutrality which have contributed to development challenges over recent years.
13.5. Despite these challenges, the council has actively sought ways to boost affordable housing delivery. One key initiative is the Norwich Orwell Partnership, a collaboration through which predominantly brownfield, council-owned land is being transferred to Orwell Housing for development. This support progress toward a target of delivering 254 new affordable homes annually, as identified in the Greater Norwich Housing Needs Assessment.
13.6. As part of the partnership, the council will retain nomination rights for all new homes built. This ensures that the properties will be allocated to individuals and families on the council's housing register.