West Wood is the biggest affordable housing scheme Sheringham has seen in decades

A Blue Peter accordionist, a mother of two who nearly lost her home, and a couple who waited ten years for a bungalow.

All of them live on the same new street in Sheringham. All of them were on the council's housing register, in a town where second homes and holiday lets have priced most people out of buying.

West Wood is the biggest affordable housing scheme Sheringham has seen in decades. Its new residents will tell you they are staying put.

Affordable housing provider Flagship – part of Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL) – built West Wood off Weybourne Road, opposite the town's clifftop golf course and the vintage trains of the heritage Poppy Line. It includes 24 homes: 18 for affordable rent, let to people on the council housing register, and six for shared ownership, where buyers purchase a share of their home and pay rent on the rest.

1.     Peter Bunyan was among the first people to move in when the new homes at West Wood, Sheringham were completed in summer 2025

Peter Bunyan, 88, was among the first people to move in when the homes were finished in summer 2025.

His living room is full of things he has made: a model of the Cutty Sark, wooden carts, and his own paintings. He is a former builder and craftsman who ran a shop in town, played accordion with the Sheringham Shantymen, and crewed the launch team for the local RNLI lifeboat.

Peter moved to Sheringham in 1990 from near Oxford, on his doctor's advice. "I had a lot of chest problems," he said. "My doctor said move to the coast and get some fresh air. Best thing I ever did."

His last flat was on the first floor and he could no longer manage the stairs. West Wood gave him a bungalow on one level, with a garden. "I thought, it's got a little garden, all on one level, that must be heaven," he said.

"When I walked in, it was love at first sight. I love the open plan - this is the best place I've ever lived in."

The lifeboat and the Shantymen left him with stories he still loves to tell. From the crew he learned about the sea, and "loved every minute" of it. The shanty group gave him his proudest moment, an accordion spot live on Blue Peter. Peter said: "All my kids and grandchildren saw it, 'Oh, that's Granddad.' Lovely days, you couldn't replace them."

Sandy Alonso Davis said she’s happy living in the new Sheringham street, which was built by affordable housing provider Flagship, part of Bromford Flagship LiveWest (BFL)

Neighbour Sandy Alonso Davis, 44, and her two daughters were facing homelessness before moving to West Wood, because her previous landlord was selling up.

Sandy was on the housing register, and a local councillor advised her to bid on what is now her three-bedroom home on the new street. She said she was thrilled with the house, which gave her security.

She said: "I don't have to worry as much that I'm going to be kicked out. It's a secure place to live. I'd never had a garden before. It's quiet, and it's nice to see the kids play out."

Sandy cleans holiday homes for a living, which gave her an inside view of local housing pressures.

She said: "There are so many second homes and holiday lets around Sheringham. It's frustrating for the many people who need homes."

Bob and Jacky Regis secured a bungalow at West Wood, where homes are allocated to families on the local housing register

Also at West Wood is retired couple Bob and Jacky Regis, who moved from a third-floor flat elsewhere in town to a bungalow. The change has helped both their knees and their bills.

Jacky, 73, said: "All three of our children live in Sheringham, so we were lucky we got to stay here."

Bob, 70, said they had been surprised by how cheap the home is to run, thanks to an air source heat pump. "It's on constant, 24/7," he said. Their highest winter bill, he added, was less than half what they used to pay.

A few early problems have been fixed. Bob said: "They've come round and rectified them all. We're quite happy."

The couple waited 10 years on the housing register for the bungalow, which Bob said showed how much demand there is. "There's a lot more needed," he said. "We've got friends who'd love a bungalow, but the chances are remote."

Jacky said one of their daughters has also bought a home at West Wood through shared ownership.

Their pastimes now include classic cars - they regularly go to meetings - and Jacky enjoys line dancing. She said: "It keeps me active, and we walk as well."

The main thing they had to get used to was the quiet, after years in the middle of town. They have settled now, and like their neighbours and the private garden they can sit out in.

The new cul-de-sac is next to the Reef leisure centre in Sheringham’s west

Sheringham has long been popular with holidaymakers and second-home owners, and the housing pressure that creates is what West Wood was built to ease.

Councillor Jill Boyle, Portfolio Holder for Housing and People Services at North Norfolk District Council, said the council had been pleased to work together with BFL on West Wood, which is now managed by its subsidiary, Flagship.

She said: “We are delighted to see the successful delivery of new social homes in Sheringham by Bromford Flagship LiveWest, providing high-quality, affordable housing for local residents, helping to meet the community's housing needs and changing lives. “North Norfolk District Council are pleased to work with our provider and look forward to more developments in the future.”