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Wales Online
03-06-2025
- Health
- Wales Online
Green light for £13.5m scheme to provide 25 affordable homes in Welsh town
Green light for £13.5m scheme to provide 25 affordable homes in Welsh town Pembrokeshire Council's cabinet has backed the awarding of a fixed contract to construct 25 flats, one bedsit, a 12-bed reablement facility, and communal areas An artist's impression of Haverfordia House in Haverfordwest (Image: Burroughs ) Senior Pembrokeshire councillors have thrown their support behind a £13.5m initiative to provide 25 affordable homes specifically designed for people aged over 55 in a Pembrokeshire town. During a cabinet meeting of Pembrokeshire Council on Monday, June 2, members were presented with a proposal to award a fixed contract worth more than £13.5m to C Wynne & Son for the construction of 25 flats, one bedsit, a 12-bed reablement facility, communal areas, and all associated works. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . The cabinet's green light was conditional upon the Housing with Care Fund grant application being approved by the panel for the full build costs of the reablement element of the project, which amounts to approximately £5.5m. Should the grant funding not be secured, the cabinet's approval would be withdrawn, and alternative funding options would be brought back to a future cabinet meeting for further deliberation. A report to the members highlighted the benefits of the development, stating: "As well as providing long-term residents with a sense of place and community, it will provide short-term reablement users with the facilities and in-house support which they need to relearn the skills required to keep them safe and independent when they return home." The report also noted the current demand for one-bedroom properties and referenced a review of sheltered accommodation for those over 55 conducted in 2018-19, which concluded that the existing stock of sheltered housing is "no longer fit for purpose". Article continues below "At this point the local authority embarked on a programme of renewing this stock, replacing with modern, accessible and compliant homes that promote independent living and preventing unnecessary moves to residential care. This proactive support reduces crisis situations and lowers the likelihood of emergency interventions, helping to manage demand for higher cost services. "It is anticipated that Haverfordia House will provide one such development in the LA programme, such sheltered schemes are needed as a housing option for over 55s in the county. Currently the authority has 629 sheltered housing properties, the average age of PCC Sheltered tenants is 71 years. "91 per cent of these tenants receive regular contact and needs-led support from the Sheltered Housing Assistants, and 30 per cent of these residents have more complex needs such as significant mental health issues, physical disabilities, severe hoarding. "The wider benefits of the support provided by Sheltered Housing Assistants based at Haverfordia House will play a vital role in enhancing the well-being of the residents, they will provide day to day support that significantly improves residents' quality of life. "This includes regular welfare checks, co-ordination of support services, and timely intervention in case of emerging health or mobility issues, all of which contribute to helping residents remain independent for longer. "The one scheme will deliver facilities for both Housing and Social Care, within the surroundings of a public car park, green open space fields and easily accessible to local services to the town centre of Haverfordwest." In 2019, cabinet backed the acquisition of the freehold of Haverfordia House, with the overall intention to deliver a new housing and wellbeing facility following its demolition. Councillor Michelle Bateman, cabinet member for housing at Pembrokeshire Council, acknowledged the public's concerns about the expense but defended it on the grounds of necessary additional features like lifts and security, saying: "We need to ensure we're building what is needed not just what is cheapest." The contract received unanimous support from members. Article continues below
South Wales Argus
01-06-2025
- General
- South Wales Argus
Newport children's home to welcome residents this summer
Ty Ash, located in Newport and operated by Action for Children, was visited by Dawn Bowden MS, minister for children and social care, on May 30 for a tour of the new therapeutic facility. The four-bedroom home will welcome its first residents this summer. Ms Bowden said: "I am pleased the Welsh Government has provided important funding to renovate Ty Ash and proud of the work we have done alongside Action for Children, the Regional Partnership Board and Newport City Council to get to this point. "This is about more than funding though – it's about transforming the care experience for children and young people. "By eliminating profit from the system, we are reinvesting in people, in communities, and in the principle that care should be driven by compassion, not commercial gain." Ty Ash was developed through the Housing with Care Fund (HCF), a Welsh Government programme designed to improve housing options for individuals with care and support needs. The home will provide 52-week residential placements for up to four children aged eight to 18, who are looked after by local authorities in the Gwent area. Laurie Ryall, Action for Children's director in Wales, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome the minister to our new children's home in Newport and see another HCF-funded project come to fruition. "We are very proud of our homes in Wales and the positive impact they have on young people that have often faced significant trauma." Ms Ryall said the minister had previously attended training on the charity's therapeutic approach and showed a genuine interest in its work with care-experienced children. Emma Coombs, Ty Ash's registered manager, said: "It's taken a lot of hard work to reach this point, but we are delighted with the home. "It's a beautiful property and we have finished it to a very high standard. "It's central to our whole philosophy that we make it a real home from home and I'm sure the children will quickly feel as comfortable and safe as possible in our loving environment."
