The Minister for Housing & Regeneration approves PMO project
Further to our Design Commission presentation and subsequent interview with Welsh Government, we have received happy news that the design was successful in securing £1.1 million of Welsh Government funding via the Innovative Housing Programme!
The scheme is for twelve apartments located in Garden City, Flintshire. The key aims of the design are to provide flexibility to anticipate changing needs in social housing and the creation of place and community where people have a sense of ownership of their environment by providing individual homes with their own gardens, shared spaces and private roof terraces.
The project is being developed in conjunction with Wates Residential for Flintshire County Council as part of their programme to build five hundred new homes across the county.
[Full press release below]
“£43 million investment in housing for the future
Houses that generate their own power, flats with vertical gardens and homes built using local supply chains are some of the projects to share in £43m of innovative housing funding this year.
Housing and Regeneration Minister Rebecca Evans will today announce which projects will share in the second phase of the three-year Innovative Housing Programme, worth £90m in total.
Successful projects include:
• Nearly £7m for Pobl Group who are developing 225 homes near Tonyrefail. The investment will create the infrastructure to ensure the homes can act as power stations – a UK first at this scale
• £4m for Cartrefi Croeso to build 30 homes in Burry Port using Welsh timber, local off-site manufacturing using local labour, featuring Tŷ Solar panels manufactured in West Wales
• £650,000 for Denbighshire Council to work with partners to establish a factory to produce timber-framed Passivhaus homes for local social landlords. Cartrefi Conwy will receive £442,000 to build 16 homes using the system. The local supply chain will training to local people who might otherwise face barriers to the jobs market
• £1m for Anglesey Council working with Coed Cymru and social housing providers to deliver an affordable and flexible housing construction system using local Welsh softwood and support the development of a local supply chain
• £1.1m for Flintshire Council to build 12 apartments with the flexibility to meet changing needs in social housing including apartments size, wheelchair accessibility and supported living
• £1.9m for Newydd Housing Association to build 23 homes as well as space for start-ups and established businesses as part of the Goods Shed development in Barry
• £2.6m for Powys Council to build 26 low-carbon homes in Newtown using Welsh timber
• £839,000 for Wales and West Housing Association to build 14 homes in Bridgend using the Solcer House model which incorporates energy efficiency and renewable technologies
• £568,000 for Gwynedd Council to build four adaptable pods to Passivhaus standard to provide stable intermediate accommodation for homeless people.
• £9m for Linc Cymru Housing Association to create 50 homes in a timber tower with vertical greening in Cardiff
Rebecca Evans said:
“We are investing in our Innovative Housing Programme to reduce fuel poverty, reduce the impact of house building on the environment, and reduce the health and wellbeing inequalities which are exacerbated by poor quality housing.
“It is clear that if the scale and pace of house-building is to increase significantly, traditional approaches are unlikely to deliver on their own. Done the right way, we have an opportunity to build high quality, near zero carbon homes, capturing and boosting the skills and expertise within the Welsh construction and manufacturing industries.””
Exciting times ahead!