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Innovative housing winners revealed

Communities secretary Carl Sargeant allocated an extra £9m to the Innovative Housing Programme this year as he revealed details of 22 affordable housing projects that will benefit.

Launched in February, the programme aims to create demonstrator projects to help inform Welsh Government, housing associations and local authorities about the type of homes needed to meet future demand and address environmental issues.

The fund was originally £10m in each of the next two years but the minister said he was increasing the fund to £19m this year because of the quality of the schemes put forward, with another £10m still to follow next year.

The full list of schemes is as follows:

Capital funded schemes

  • Isle of Anglesey – Anglesey – Maes yr Ysgol – structurally insulated panels (SIPS). Constructed of Walltec Skintong composite structural insulated panels (CSIP) with infrared heating film and solar photovoltaic panels. No of homes: 4
  • Bron Afon – Torfaen – Ty Rosser Gwyn – Modcell (strawbale), Wikihouse, SIPS. Pilot for 3 alternative modern methods of construction using early contractor involvement. No of homes: 12
  • Cadwyn – Cardiff – Sea Containers, Grand Avenue – offsite using shipping containers. Use of containers to provide 1 and 2 bedroom homes supplemented with solar PV to provide contribution towards energy costs. No of homes: 12
  • Cardiff Council – Cardiff – Sea Containers, Grand Avenue – offsite using shipping containers. Use of containers to provide new homes. No of homes: 8
  • Coastal – Carmarthenshire – Land at Wind Street – Pentre Solar system using local timber. Passive solar approach & renewables (PV) minimising CO2 and reduction in fuel bills, use of local resources. No of homes: 7
  • Denbighshire Council – Denbighshire – Bodnant Apartments – Passivhaus. Flats built to Passivhaus standards, contribute towards the development of local skills, flat layouts are designed to be flexible and can change as needs change. No of homes: 4
  • First Choice – Flintshire – Flintshire Community Co-operative Scheme – Integrated opportunities for people with learning difficulties. Flats developed as a co-operative partnership community scheme (CPPS) for adults with learning difficulties and older people. Scheme offers enhanced integration opportunities and will include café, furniture workshop and community IT facilities. No of homes: 25
  • Grwp Cynefin – Denbighshire – two properties at Maes Glyndwr – Fabric First approach (F1). Homes built off site using modular construction by mid Wales based manufacturer (F1). Homes robust enough to be relocated if required. No of homes: 2
  • Linc Cymru – RCT – Aberdare Extracare – Fabric First approach (F1). Use of off site volumetric contractor delivered through Wales Procurement Alliance.(WPA). Seeking NHBC accreditation by F1 ( Volumetric fabricator). Exploring performance standards achieved by off site construction approach. No of homes: 40
  • Linc Cymru – Caerphilly – Caephilly Magistrates Court – Passivhaus. Built to Passivhaus standard and first use in Wales on a large scale. Fabric first approach. No of homes: 38
  • Mid Wales HAPowys – Croft Court – Passivhaus. Homes built to Passivhaus standard plus extensive use of PV panels. No of homes: 19
  • Monmouthshire HA – Monmouthshire – Elm & Park Road – Flexible design suitable for constricted sites. 2 flexibly designed house types to meet the needs of those wishing to down size or first time home users. New build general needs, flats on a redundant garage site. No of homes: 8
  • Pembrokeshire HA – Pembrokeshire – Land at Square and Companss – Pentre Solar system using local timber. Project uses integrated solar panels with the potential to add battery storage. Ty Solar sustainable building system. No of homes: 4
  • Pembrokeshire HA – Pembrokeshire – Glanrhyd, Ty Solar – Pentre Solar system using local timber. Uses integrated solar panels with potential to add battery storage. No of homes: 6
  • Pobl – NPT – Active Homes, Neath – Trisowarm System using local timber. Locally developed timber frame system with factory insulated panels. Uses an integrated solar PV roof and solar collecting wall cladding (transpired solar collector). Uses battery storage to store site generated energy ( homes as power stations). New build flats and houses using local timber frame system on a site with no gas supply. No of homes: 16.(Look out for feature in new issue of WHQ)
  • Powys Council – Powys – Bowling Green, Newtown – timber frame using local timber. Wood fibre used as insulation has been sourced locally. No of homes: 24
  • Swansea Council – Swansea – Colliers Way and Cwrt Trevor – Passivhaus. All homes built to Passivhaus standards. New build houses and flats under construction and built by councils’ in house DLO. No of homes: 18
  • United Welsh – Caerphilly – Former Cwm Ifor High School – Beattie panalised timber system. Developed  using Beattie Passivehaus System, fabricated by workers with limited skills. Training provided by Beattie Passive. No of homes: 17
  • Valleys to Coast – Bridgend Heol Ynysawdre & Maes Glas – modular, mixture of timber frame. General needs new build houses on garage infill sites. Modular construction using 4 modules per dwelling with fully fitted bathrooms and kitchens (Wernick within 10 miles of site). No of homes: 8
  • Valleys to Coast – Bridgend – Barnhaus Pilot, Plas Morlais, Barnhaus frames manufactured offsite. Pilot project building on the Barnhaus concept that won an award from National Self Build Association in 2013 to provide homes using simple construction technology that can be erected quickly. High energy performance. Steel portal frame with straw bale insulation aiming for negative CO2. No of homes: 4

Revenue funded schemes

  • Coastal – Swansea – Partnership proposal – Consortia bid by group of South Wales based housing associations and Wales Co-operative Centre to research the possibilities and benefits of expanding the use of offsite construction in the region.
  • First Choice – Wrexham – Ty Ryan veterans self build – Funding required for a training officer to teach necessary skills

The cabinet secretary made the announcement while visiting Wernick , which will join forces with Valleys to Coast to create a development of modular homes in Sarn and Tondu The homes will be built at Wernick’s factory on Kenfig Industrial Estate and delivered to the site on lorries, meaning the high quality structures can be produced and delivered very quickly.

Carl Sargeant said:

‘Building homes delivers important benefits beyond simply putting a roof over people’s heads. Alongside the well-documented health and education benefits that good quality housing provides for children and families, building homes of all tenures has a significant positive impact on the Welsh economy and on our communities. These projects will also demonstrate how we can use the Welsh supply chain to unlock massive opportunities for growth and innovation in housing.’

 


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