Dutch housing experts learn North East lessons

An exchange of knowledge across the North Sea is paying dividends for NomadE5 and its new Dutch partner.

A team of housing professionals from Dutch housing association De Goede Woning ('The Good House' in English), based in Zoetermeer, has just visited the North East to learn how affordable housing is provided in a different environment to their home territory.

Chief executive Ed Pannebakker said his team had found many similarities with the Dutch experience, but felt one key difference between the two countries was he believed the UK has a larger gap between rich and poor than the Netherlands.

Mr Pannebakker said he felt that gap might make it harder for housing providers like NomadE5 to build mixed communities of home owners and social rented properties where people on different incomes and from different backgrounds live alongside one another.

He said: "One striking feature of our visit was the pursuit of mixed tenure housing in new construction projects, which is something we have little experience of, although a few years ago we did start to sell off flats from our housing stock.

"We felt that the gap between rich and poor was much wider in the UK than in the Netherlands, a fact that makes it difficult to achieve mixed housing areas in an effort to improve the quality of life. "

Another finding for Mr Pannebakker was noticing how British judges are much slower than their Dutch counterparts in ruling for eviction in cases of rent arrears.

However the chief executive was more focused on the similarities he found with the Netherlands.
He said: "We encountered just as many similarities as differences. The problems NomadE5 faces on a daily basis were similar to ours and many of the tools used were also the same."

Now NomadE5 managing director Alison Stanners is looking into sending some of her staff to visit De Goede Woning in Zoetermeer.
She wants to see what they can learn from how Mr Pannebakker and his team run their housing services - especially their approach to environmental issues and the use of renewable energy to see what can be brought back to the UK.

Mr Pannebakker said he had been really pleased with the programme put together for his team to experience.

He said: "This was the first study trip for our staff and it was a great success not least because of the efforts of NomadE5. The various receptions were very hospitable and well organised."

During their visit, the party from De Goede Woning visited the award winning Cleadon Park regeneration scheme in South Shields, saw refurbishment work at The Triangle in North Shields; and visited NomadE5's Cherry Tree Mews development for older people in Battle Hill.

The itinerary ended with a trip to Battle Hill Primary School where neighbourhood investment manager Lewis Rimington has developed a strong relationship with the teachers and pupils.
The children at the school presented De Goede Woning staff with hand made
greetings cards to commemorate their visit.

Alison Stanners, managing director of NomadE5, said: "It's great to have the opportunity to share our work with visitors and for us to learn from one another.
"It's interesting to hear Ed's perspective on how issues in wider society might be impacting on our work - hopefully we too can benefit from seeing how social housing works in the Netherlands."

Lewis Rimington, neighbourhood investment manager for NomadE5, said: "It was a great experience to show our Dutch visitors around some of our best projects, and hearing their perspective on what we do.
"We are always looking to improve as an organisation, and there is always something we can learn from hearing of experiences elsewhere in the sector - whether in the UK or internationally."