LAND AT HEN YSGOL Y BONT ANGLESEY
A development of 52 new energy efficient, affordable homes being built by Williams Homes on behalf of ClwydAlyn and in partnership with Anglesey County Council and the Welsh Government.
PROGRESS UPDATE AND LOOKING AHEAD
Work on site is progressing well, and in March and May, 23 residents / families moved into their new homes. The planting and landscaping have been completed to the first 2 phases including the communal Christmas tree!! The final phase of the development of these new houses is due to complete late Summer. Before residents move in, they’ll have an opportunity to take a tour of their new homes and attend a welcome event, where we’ll provide them with information all about their new homes and the new technologies (air source heat pumps) and much more. We can’t wait to give everyone their keys.
OUR MOST INNOVATIVE HOUSING DEVELOPMENT YET!
These homes are seen as one of our most innovative housing developments yet, costing £13.9m (land, build and on costs) with a £9.1m of grant funding from the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme. The Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme supports new ways of delivering affordable housing, focused on low carbon, energy efficient homes, helping to tackle fuel poverty.
ClwydAlyn is committed to exploring ideas for low carbon homes and innovative designs and the development of Hen Ysgol y Bont is no exception, with sustainability and community at the heart of planning.
Throughout different stages of the development, we have been filming, with 4 different films being filmed in total, from start of works to completion. We are currently working on these films with the Welsh Government and they’ll soon be shared via the Welsh Government social media channels!
RESIDENTS MOVE IN!
Congratulations to all of our residents who have moved into their new homes at Hen Ysgol y Bont, now known as Maes yr Ysgol and Bridge Street. On their moving in day, we asked various residents what they thought of their new homes, and this is what Ruth, Nicole, Annest and Mr and Mrs Jones had to say…
RUTH - MOVED IN MARCH 2023
“ Moving to my new home will change my life a lot as it is so nice, modern and trendy. I was living in a 3-story house that has been condemned and was damp and dangerous to live in, with poor heating and electric bills that were costing me £70 to £80 a week. I have a disabled son who is 35 and autistic, and living here now and having so much space will really help him. With the solar panels and proper heating system too it will really save us money and we’re really looking forward to living here.”
NICOLE - MOVED IN MARCH 2023
“
Our new home is great and we’re excited and feel really lucky to have it. Our children have additional needs and as their school is now only a 5 minute drive away, this will save us money on petrol costs. The layout and the new shower will also help them develop their self-help skills and independence, and it all is a massive difference from our previous home. There we had LPG gas, and half a tank of fuel cost a lot – living in an energy efficient home will really save us money and will be so good for our whole family.”
MR & MRS JONESMOVED IN MAY 2023
ANNEST - MOVED IN MAY 2023
“ It is a massive relief to be moving in if I’m honest. I’m a mum to 2 children – my eldest is 2 years old and I have a 9-month-old baby. Living here will give them a chance to have their own room; before we were staying at my parents’ house in their living room and I was having to sleep on the sofa. We’ve now all got our own space, and with the school up the road, it is even more convenient. I’m looking forward to seeing how much I save on bills in an energy efficient home, and now that I will be able to create a routine, I will be able to look for part time work in the local area.”
“ We are feeling ecstatic to be moving in and our new house is definitely going to be life-changing for us. It is a big difference from our old home, where we lived for 12 years with no bathroom upstairs. We were also in the middle of nowhere and got cut off by bad weather, snow, rain and floods. Even though our new home is on an estate, it doesn’t feel like it with all the space available, and with prices going up, every penny saved in an energy efficient home will help. It’s the simple things that other people take for granted that are big for us, and most of all, we’ll be able to live now, not just exist.”
SURVEY RESULTS SO FAR!
To ensure we’re developing the best homes for our residents, that they are happy with, and which make a difference to their lives, we ask them to complete a survey 6 weeks after they move in and 9 months after they move in. We can then review and learn from the results. Here’s a snapshot of some questions / results.
6 Week survey…
Questions we asked residents who moved into the new homes at first…
Are you happy with the layout of your new home, is there enough storage, if not which rooms in particular?
Over 90% of residents surveyed were happy with the layout of their new home.
We always want to learn and improve on our designs of new homes. Is there anything we should consider for future homes?
Some residents did comment that they would like to use the loft storage space however due to equipment being stored in the loft they can’t be used due to access. For example, there is equipment such as: Sprinkler tanks, PV invertor, extraction systems.
Over 90% of residents surveyed said there wasn’t anything else we should consider for future homes.
Were you shown how to make best use of the technology systems in your new home (such as the Heating System, Solar panels, Battery Storage), was this clearly explained, did you find this useful, or can this be improved?
Over 90% of residents surveyed said they were shown how to use the new technology systems.
Over 90% of residents are happy with the quality and finish of their new home.
3 work experience opportunities created: site joiners of which 2 became apprentices.
GIVING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY
An important part of ClwydAlyn’s commitment to building high quality affordable homes is to ensure that all partners involved, commit back to the local communities in which we work in, in a wide range of ways and in line with our poverty priorities. In turn, helping to enrich our communities by giving support where its needed, whether that’s helping people to get back into work, combating social isolation, supporting residents in fuel poverty, or providing access to nutritious food.
During the development of Maes yr Ysgol and Bridge Street, here are some of the ways how ClwydAlyn and Williams Homes have supported the local community:
Recruitment and training of a Construction Admin Assistant and Site Plant Operative via Mon Cyf, who support people to overcome barriers to employment and now work permanently for Williams Homes.
97% of the value of the scheme has been spent on goods / services in Wales
98% of waste was diverted from landfill.
Supported the establishment of the Bwyd Da Môn scheme, which gives people access to low cost and good quality food that would otherwise be wasted.
6 Apprenticeships supported including ongoing support and training/mentoring, which include:
• 1 Site Joinery traineeship created.
• 2 Bench Joinery trials.
• 2 Site Joinery trials.
75% of Materials used were from renewable resources.
68% of Materials recycled that were used on site, eg surplus timber to create fences
TACKLING FUEL POVERTY
ClwydAlyn’s aim is to tackle fuel poverty and help minimise the impact less energy efficient homes can have on people’s health and wellbeing.
Built using greener technologies and innovative designs, these new homes are super energy efficient and benefit from:
• Air source heat pumps
• Solar electricity panel
• Solar electricity storage batteries
• Homes positioned to maximise solar gain and natural daylight
• Electric car charging facilities
• ‘Modern Methods of Construction’, using as many natural and sustainable materials as possible
• Sourcing materials from local manufacturers and suppliers, keeping carbon footprint low.
• These homes can make a big difference. They’ll help residents support the environment; save previous energy and they could save money in the long run too.
MANAGEMENT OF THE SITE AND HOURS OF OPERATION
The development of these new homes is expected to complete soon with all residents moving in. Until then, there is a Site Manager Team on site at all times, who are trained to safely manage all operations and subcontractor activity. Typical hours of operation are Monday to Friday between the hours of 8am and 6pm and Saturday’s 8am to 1pm. If at any time any specialist work needs to be carried out outside of these hours, we will contact you. We will continue to communicate regularly by newsletter as the development progresses.
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA
CONTACT US
Should you have any queries or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact Penny Lofts (Land and Acquisitions Manager) on 01678 521781 who will be available to answer any queries that you may have. Alternatively, if you would prefer to contact us by email, our address is: info@williams-homes.co.uk
For any updates on the development, including images on how the site is progressing, follow ClwydAlyn and Williams Homes on social media.
@ClwydAlyn @WilliamsHomes_