Work gets underway on 18 Passivhaus council homes  

16 - 08 - 2021

Construction work has begun on a housing development in South Wales that will see 12 one-bed apartments built to Passivhaus standard.

Caerphilly County Borough Council is delivering the development on Llanfabon Drive, Trethomas, as part of an innovative pilot programme that will also see six new homes built in Trecenydd.

The council will own and manage all 18 properties, which will be allocated to eligible applicants from its Common Housing Register. 

Homes will be constructed to Passivhaus standard, consisting of very high levels of insulation, extremely high-performance windows with insulated frames, air-tight building fabric and a mechanical heat ventilation system.

As well as helping to lower carbon emissions, the council says the new homes will result in low energy costs for tenants and contribute toward housing need in the county borough.

The council is working in partnership with construction company Willmott Dixon and local Ystrad Mynach based company Caledan Ltd on the development.

The Welsh government has awarded £3.1m through its Innovative Housing Programme to fund development costs at both sites.

The homes are due for completion in Spring 2022.
 

‘Vital’ sites

Commenting on the development, council leader Philippa Marsden said: “It was fantastic to visit the Trecenydd site recently to see the first steps on our exciting journey to build new council owned homes for the first time in 18 years. 

“To now see work begin on the Trethomas site too really demonstrates that progress is being made.”

Cllr Lisa Phipps, the council’s cabinet member for Housing, added: “With over 4,500 people registered for social housing in the county borough and a particular need for one-bedroom homes, these sites are vital in helping us meet demand for local people.

“Exploring innovative ways to help tenants further, by reducing their energy bills, is also incredibly important to us, as is lowering carbon emissions and using local supply chains to boost our economy during such difficult times.”

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