Caerphilly Council completes innovative new homes

Caerphilly County Borough Council is delighted to announce that work has recently completed on its first new innovative homes; the first its built in 20 years.

Homes on two sites in the Trecenydd and Trethomas areas of Caerphilly are not only the first of their kind for Caerphilly Council, but also the first of their kind in Wales; with a unique steel primaframe design used to develop the homes to Passivhaus standards, offering the highest levels of energy efficiency.

The homes were completed as part of a pilot programme, with additional funding of £3.1 million provided from Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme. The Council worked in partnership with construction expert Willmott Dixon, Ystrad Mynach based steel manufacturer Caledan and architect Holder Mathias to design and deliver the 18 innovative new one-bedroom apartments.

The Leader of Caerphilly Council, Cllr Sean Morgan, said “These homes will not only help us meet local housing need but will also improve the health and wellbeing of future tenants and ensure their fuel costs are kept to a minimum; an issue which is incredibly important during the current financial climate, with the current cost of living crisis with energy prices soaring.”

Cllr Shayne Cook, the Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, added “Partnership working has been key to the success of this project, and I’d like to thank everyone who’s been involved in bringing these innovative new homes to fruition. These high-quality homes have truly been designed with the needs of future tenants at their heart.”

Ian Jones, Director at Willmott Dixon commented, “We are very proud to have reached this milestone with the completion of the homes at Trethomas. We have been working collaboratively with Caerphilly County Borough Council since 2019 and since then we have implemented innovative manufacturing techniques and engaged with local partners to tackle the skills shortage facing the industry, through innovation and a fabric first approach.

During the construction period we have been dedicated to supporting not only our customer and partner on this innovative project, but also the local & wider communities. Through our social value commitment we have donated laptops to the community and also assisted in the distribution of the free school meals to pupils during the school holidays. Willmott Dixon is delighted to have delivered these low-energy, state of the art homes to the our customer, Caerphilly County Borough Council which will help to tackle fuel poverty and provide high quality low maintenance homes for the tenants.”

Chris Morton, CEO at Caledan, added “Caledan are extremely pleased to be involved with these developments. The innovative design concept has allowed us to explore new production methods and push forward the boundaries of light gauge steel framing for use in Passivhaus construction. We have also been able to provide local employment opportunities and look to the future. It has been a real pleasure to work with all involved.”

Craig Jones, Partner at Holder Mathias, said “Caerphilly Council must be congratulated for their vision and commitment in leading these innovative housing projects – the first of their kind in Wales – and in doing so, placing people at the heart of everything these schemes represent. Holder Mathias has been delighted and proud to have been involved in a positive and passionate team effort to create Passivhaus dwellings fit for the times we live in. It has been both exciting and rewarding working together to design and deliver these modern homes, providing environmentally advanced and enjoyable places for people to live, set within their local communities.”