Badersfield: Private Infrastructure Management

Badersfield, formerly known as RAF Coltishall, is a regeneration project of Annington Homes with mixed-tenure, previously Married Quarters homes, being sold to new owners since 2007. Set just 12 miles from Norwich city centre and 14 miles from the Norfolk coast, the development also boasts 50 acres of green space, woodland and other infrastructure – all of which needs to be maintained and managed on behalf of all residents.

Having worked with Annington for over a decade, Badersfield is one of the developer’s 125 estates that Preim delivers management services for, including:

• Private infrastructure maintenance
• Green space management
• Residents’ company administration and support

The Norwich estate is a great example of how Preim’s relationship with homeowners has developed further once the development has been handed over to homeowner/stakeholder control.

Management of private infrastructure and green space management

Badersfield consists of former MOD Married Quarters homes that have been released to Annington for sale, rental or redevelopment. As a result, the estate has extensive private infrastructure such as roads, sewers, utilities and areas of open space – all of which need to be maintained.

With a residents’ company created for the estate, communal ownership of this infrastructure is firmly in place. Preim helps to administer the residents’ company along with delivering maintenance of the key community infrastructure.

Preim employs two full-time caretakers (former golf course green keepers) at Badersfield who help to action that maintenance and to keep the estate looking great. Whilst Preim’s customer-driven support services and infrastructure expertise is hugely valued by the community.

Negotiating the best results possible for the community

A recent example of the value placed on Preim’s role with the community relates to the existing water infrastructure: Badersfield had over 4Km of private communal water main and water services, which was owned and funded by the homeowners through the estate charge. The water was supplied by Anglian Water.

Working with the Badersfield directors and after four years of persistence and negotiations, Preim was able to secure the adoption, by Anglian Water, of these water mains and water services.

Not only does the adoption of 4Km of 60-year-old water mains provide a significant cost saving to the community, it also gives the community ‘peace of mind’ and places the risk of maintaining and owning communal water infrastructure with the right people – ‘a water company’.

If you are a developer, keen to learn more about a community-ownership model, growing community engagement, or green space management and placemaking initiatives, please give us a call or drop us an email.