4 days ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
Can the Housing Industry Follow Bold Leadership?
The Welsh Government launched Tai ar y Cyd earlier this year, an ambitious initiative aimed at increasing the supply of quality, sustainable, and affordable homes. David Dwyer from window manufacturer NorDan UK, explains why he's backing Tai ar y Cyd to boost investment in quality.
With plans to deliver 20,000 quality, sustainability-focused homes over five years, Tai ar y Cyd is an ambitious collaboration between Welsh social landlords, government, and industry.
The initiative brings together twenty-three social landlords with the aim of delivering more 'affordable, high-quality homes for future generations' – homes that can meet the high standards of low-carbon performance and drive down resident energy bills.
This will be achieved through a unique, standardised pattern book that includes layouts for fifteen house types, plus eighteen variants that range from 1-bedroom flats to 4-bedroom houses, and other features such as fully wheelchair-accessible homes.
The goal is to benefit residents, communities and the environment by setting clear energy efficiency, affordability, and long-term sustainability standards from the outset. Pictures by Rob Norman HayMan Media
Moving forward, these new homes will be designed to meet Welsh Development Quality Requirements and Welsh Housing Quality Standards and will embrace cutting-edge building techniques and natural materials, including timber.
It marks an important step toward a more energy-efficient and unified future for social and affordable housing in Wales – one that should enhance the quality of life for future generations and give residents greater protection from the ever-looming peril of fuel poverty.
It's encouraging to see the Welsh Government taking a long-term view – something both NorDan UK and I strongly support. By prioritising investment in quality and longevity, they are also disincentivising the short-term temptation of cheaper material options, which often prove to be a false economy over time.
Founded in Norway almost a century ago, NorDan has established a reputation across Europe for manufacturing high-performance, low-carbon timber windows and doors with a lifespan of 60 years or more.
Although demand for NorDan's products in social housing continues to grow, this level of quality will always come at a higher capital cost. Understandably, this can initially deter some social landlords who are focused on delivering as many homes as possible within tight development budgets.
At the same time, Wales, like many European countries, suffers from a chronic shortage of quality affordable homes, and there is a clear need to increase supply.
It's hard for people of all ages to access the housing ladder, and long waiting lists for social homes has left thousands of individuals and families languishing in temporary accommodation.
Our ageing, leaky housing stock is also clear evidence of past mistakes. UK homes are the least energy efficient in Northern Europe, while domestic energy prices are among the highest on the continent.
This has led to a perfect storm that has hit many of our lowest-income homes disproportionately, and something that we must avoid in the future.
In other nations and markets, NorDan has witnessed and demonstrated how strong government leadership combined with collective collaboration can be crucial in setting a new, and more positive path in housing.
That is certainly how I see Tai ar y Cyd. Positive leadership.
By encouraging decision-makers to measure and scrutinise the whole-life value of the building products and materials they use, I'm convinced that most will understand and embrace the longer-term benefits and savings.
Such is NorDan's confidence in the direction Wales is heading, that we've opened a new showroom and headquarters at Cardiff Gate Business Park. We have also invested in a new Wales-based team dedicated to addressing the specific housing needs of the nation.
Finally, for those keen to experience a living example of the pioneering levels of quality and innovation we're striving for, I recommend visiting the new 144-home village at Gwynfaen, an ultra-low carbon housing development located outside Swansea.
Featuring a thousand of NorDan UK's aluminium-clad timber windows and doors, this landmark project, led by Pobl housing association, has set a new benchmark for sustainable, energy-efficient housing in Wales.
A precursor to Tai ar y Cyd, Pobl and Stride Treglown in Cardiff as lead architects, saw Gwynfaen as an opportunity to be bold and combine future-proofed ideas – creating concepts that prioritise a healthy community.
Moving forward, the emphasis now rests on the industry to embrace the principles of Tai ar y Cyd and take the time to explain how thinking longer term will reduce costs and carbon.
To help meet this challenge, NorDan has created advanced digital modelling that calculates whole-life carbon and energy savings, making it easier to accurately set out the longer-term benefits.
In conclusion, I'd say that the Welsh Government has shown visionary leadership, but if we are to be on the cusp of a new approach to affordable housing in Wales, then the industry also must follow.
