£225m approved for 430 new council homes over five years

More than £225m investment is planned as part of a five-year programme that will see new council homes built and improvements made to existing council homes, Powys County Council has said.

The council’s latest “At Home in Powys – Housing Business Plan”, was approved by Cabinet this week and should see the council build more than 430 new council homes by 2029-30 as part of an investment package worth over £151m.

The plan also includes more than £43m over the next five years to be invested in the council’s existing homes to make sure they continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, which requires houses owned by housing associations and local authorities to be in good condition.

Other programmes of work as part of the Housing Business Plan include: 

• Compliance One Hundred – More than £10.5m to make sure all council homes and associated assets are 100% compliant with all relevant and applicable legislation and regulation;
• Green Powys – More than £10m to increase fuel efficiency in council homes, reduce fuel poverty, help cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change. This will also include funding to encourage and support a greener future for council housing estates;
• Fit for Life – More than £4.1m to make council homes better suited to the needs of older people and those with health-related needs that impair or adversely affect their mobility; and
• Love Where You Live – More than £6.9m to improve the wellbeing of communities through improvements to council homes and estates.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: “This ambitious plan will get the council building high-quality council homes to help us tackle the housing emergency.

“The Homes in Powys – Housing Business Plan puts in place the money needed to make our homes more energy efficient for our tenants – tackling fuel poverty and ensuring council homes are doing their bit to tackle climate change.

“The plan also pledges continued investment in our existing council homes to make sure that we continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

“This plan will help build a stronger, fairer, greener future for Powys.”

PICTURE (by J. Harper and Sons (Leominster) Ltd): Aerial photo of the new council housing development that is being built at the former Robert Owen House in Newtown by contractors J. Harper and Sons (Leominster) Ltd.