A housing project in Norwich has demonstrated how community-focused delivery can bring long-term value to residents, schools, and the wider area.
Delivered by RG Carter for Norwich City Council and Norwich Regeneration Ltd, Phase 3 of the Threescore Housing Development saw the creation of 76 high-quality homes; made up of apartments and semi-detached houses, adding much-needed capacity to the local authority’s housing stock.
The project was a joint venture between the two organisations, with Norwich City Council funding the Social Housing and Norwich Regeneration Ltd funding the Open Market properties.
Completed in June 2024, the project was procured through the Medium Works Framework, under a Direct Award process, which we manage on behalf of contracting authority, The Education Alliance, providing a compliant and collaborative route to market.
While the development increased housing provision, it was the delivery team’s dedicated social value strategy that made a wider and lasting impact across the community.
The project went on to win Best Project Delivering Social Value at the 2025 Pagabo Awards, recognising the breadth and impact of its achievements.
A long-term relationship with local schools
Located close to Cloverhill VA Infant & Nursery School and St Michael’s Junior School, the project created an opportunity to form strong, meaningful relationships with both schools, something that began with a delivery of surplus timber, pallets and pipes in early 2022.
This material became part of ‘Loose Parts Play’, encouraging creative learning through den-building, imaginative construction and collaborative play. The initiative quickly grew into a long-term partnership, designed to support learning, promote safety around construction sites, and introduce sustainability themes linked to the curriculum.
Over the following 18 months, the delivery team worked closely with school staff to create and lead a wide range of activities, including:
- Health & safety and careers presentations at St Michael’s
- Regular site tours for pupils of both schools
- Concrete handprint installations for school playing fields
- Donation of surplus materials and classroom resources
- A hard hat painting competition and new sandpit at Cloverhill
- Tree planting with St Michael’s Eco-Council
- A jointly built bug hotel at the site boundary
- Picnic bench and stationery donations
All activity was coordinated by Assistant Project Manager Sam Hubbard, whose commitment to inclusive, hands-on engagement was recognised with Client Recognition Awards from Norwich City Council in both 2023 and 2024.
Creating opportunity beyond the school gates
Social value delivery extended well beyond the classroom, reaching wider community groups and supporting skills development.
Key outcomes included:
- Two deliveries of pallets toAssist Trust, supporting creative woodwork classes for adults with additional needs
- A two-monthT-Level placement from City College Norwich
- Two site tours welcoming a total of15 construction students
- Eight apprenticesemployed across the project
- A total of276 apprentice weeks delivered
These activities were designed not only to provide real-world learning and upskilling, but to leave a legacy of employment pathways, experience, and access to the local construction industry.
Measuring meaningful impact
Social value delivery was tracked and verified, producing a clear picture of community and economic impact:
- £23.6 million in total social value generated
- £14 million spent in the local supply chain
- 94% of that spend with SMEs
- £137,754 in social value generated specifically through apprenticeship activity
These figures highlight how structured engagement, and a proactive delivery team can amplify the positive impact of a housing project.
A people-first approach to public sector delivery
Threescore Housing Development Phase 3 stands as a strong example of how social value can be embedded into every stage of project delivery, from early engagement through to handover.
By working closely with the local authority, schools and wider community, RG Carter was able to create new homes while also enriching local lives. The project shows how the use of the Medium Works Framework can help unlock meaningful impact and support strategic priorities beyond the build itself.
Elliott Talbot, Senior Framework Manager at Pagabo said, “This project is a fantastic example of how embedding social value from the outset can result in a truly transformational impact on the local community. Through the Medium Works Framework, we’re proud to have enabled a delivery approach that prioritised meaningful engagement, supported future skills, and fostered lasting partnerships—demonstrating exactly how public sector procurement can drive long-term value beyond the built environment.”
Alex Mackay, Director and General Manager at R G Carter went on to say, “At R G Carter we are committed to leaving a positive legacy in the communities in which we live and work. The social value we delivered at Threescore Housing Development successfully achieved this due to the close relationships our teams built with the local schools and wider community, enabling us to collaborate with those who would benefit most, and create initiatives that would be enjoyed, educate, and have the greatest impact on future generations. These relationships, coupled with our passionate apprentices and the part they played in both the build and initiatives, made this a very special award-winning project, one that we are very proud to have been a part of.”
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