Friday 27 Nov 2020, 00:01

£35 million investment in Welsh homes for the future

Buddsoddi £35 miliwn yng nghartrefi Cymru ar gyfer y dyfodol

Low carbon housing, retrofitting to improve energy efficiency and training opportunities for prisoners will feature in projects receiving funding to create affordable homes for the future.

The Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme funding is focused on Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) this year, in particular using Welsh timber and supply chains to support our green recovery and move towards a low carbon economy.

Housing and Local Government Minister Julie James said:

“This £35 million investment will deliver 400 factory-built homes, all of which will be produced by local Welsh companies and their supply chains.

“We are committed to building more high quality homes in factories here in Wales. In Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Clwyd Alyn Housing Association have shown what we can achieve together. With local suppliers, they have built 38 timber-framed, low carbon homes with extremely low running costs which will put more money in tenant’s pockets.

“Partnering with Williams Homes, a Bala-based company, means the frames were all manufactured locally. This created six training opportunities and helped Welsh businesses using modern methods of construction to grow. I’m pleased to see residents are now moving in to these fantastic homes and seeing the benefits.”

Projects supported by this year’s round of funding include:

ClwydAlyn are building 63 timber frame homes to be whole life zero carbon, built by a Welsh MMC firm. The firm will be offering training opportunities for groups that struggle to secure employment opportunities;
£3 million for Pobl Group to build over 90 zero carbon social homes in Blaenau Gwent, by a Valley’s based MMC producer, using timber frame design;
Tai Tarian will build 55 new homes and retrofit 72 existing ones in Port Talbot, increasing energy efficiency and reducing fuel bills for tenants. The new homes will be built in Neath Port Talbot by a local family-run MMC partner.

Talking about the project, Craig Sparrow, Executive Director of Development for ClwydAlyn said:

“We always embrace the local community in our plans to build new and innovative housing, but by working closely in partnership with our designers, contractors and the Welsh Government, it allowed us to gain unanimous support from Local Members and Council Planning Officers for the innovative new scheme, enabling us to deliver many benefits to the local community.

“The Innovative Housing Programme provided by the Welsh Government, has been vital in delivering a project which has stretched the boundaries by embracing new technology and modern methods of construction to build high quality, ultra-low carbon homes for our residents. Projects like this play an important role in reducing fuel poverty, whilst re-energising employment opportunities to support the local economy, both of which help us deliver our mission to tackle poverty.”

Julie James said:

“The Innovative Housing Programme shows what we can achieve together; manufacturing homes in factories means that we can continue to build affordable homes, regardless of our weather or the impact of a pandemic. We are building back greener, delivering a stable supply of homes in unstable economic times.”

Notes to editors

Image shows two new homes on ClwydAlyn’s development at Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd. Photo credit: Henry Lapworth Photography

Welsh Government is also working closely with the Active Building Centre Research Programme in Swansea to capture consistent performance data and to develop a framework to evaluate the impact of homes delivered under IHP.

For more information on the ClwydAlyn project or any of the other projects listed below, contact marie.concannon2@gov.wales

Project
Barcud Cyfyngedig, Aberystwyth	Redeveloping a site to build nine homes using a Welsh timber by a Welsh MMC producer. The homes will show 2050 ready home in 2021 using renewable energy generation and storage.
Pobl Group, Newport.	54 homes using a closed panel timber frame by a Welsh MMC producer. The homes are designed to be carbon zero in operation.
Pobl Group, Newport.	40 homes using timber frame by a Welsh MMC producer. The homes are designed to be carbon zero in operation.
Tai Tarian, Port Talbot.	The scheme will create 55 new homes as well as retrofit 72 existing homes.
ClwydAlyn, Ruthin	This scheme is proposing 63 timber frame homes built to be whole life zero carbon, produced by a Welsh MMC producer. The MMC producer will link up with HMP Berwyn to offer training and opportunities for prisoners as part of the delivery of this scheme, with workshops and equipment located within HMP Berwyn.
North Wales Housing Association collaboration across three sites in Gwynedd and one on Anglesey	113 homes provided across four sites in collaboration with four North Wales Housing Associations, using Welsh timber and an integrated energy strategy.
Adra – Plas Penrhyn, Conwy	21 low carbon homes using Beattie Passive design from the Creating Enterprise factory in Holyhead. The scheme is a collaboration between Adra and North Wales Housing Association. The MMC approach builds on schemes previously supported under IHP and ensures order book certainty for the Community Interest Company.
Monmouthshire Housing Association – three sites in Calidcot	39 MMC homes using a closed panel timber system with a Welsh MMC producer across 3 sites. The proposed homes are a combination of first time buyers and housing first homes to tackle homelessness.
Caerphilly Council, two sites, Trethomas and Trecenydd	Proposal to build the first affordable homes by Caerphilly County Borough Council since 2003 with 20 low carbon MMC homes. Proposal uses a local MMC producer using a steel frame “kit of parts” system.
Anglesey Council, Ysgol Llaingoch	A local SME (traditional housebuilder) to build 18 low carbon timber framed homes to deliver PassivHaus levels of energy performance.
Swansea Council, two sites in Clase	15 homes as power stations, which will also support people who were homeless into accommodation.
Bron Afon, Pontypool	11 low carbon MMC homes proposed using an established local Welsh MMC producer which will provide space for indoor and outdoor inter-generational interaction.
Powys Council, Clyro	13 low carbon MMC homes using a Welsh producer.
Wales and West Housing Association, Former Northop United Reform Church, Mold	6 low carbon homes with a Welsh producer making its first steps into delivering high quality affordable MMC homes.