The first new modular homes on an innovative development to help tackle the immediate shortage of affordable housing in Cardiff are ready to welcome their new residents.
Development partner Wates Group has handed over four new apartments on the former Gasworks site at Ferry Road to the Council, as well as a new community building and on-site office.
The pre-manufactured homes are part of a scheme that will ultimately deliver 155 highly energy-efficient properties in phases at Ffordd Y Rhaffau, Grangetown. The new modular homes, will help to alleviate pressures on local homelessness services and increase the availability of temporary accommodation offering a mix of one to four bedroom properties.
The Council received funding from Welsh Government’s Transitional Accommodation Capital Programme for the modular homes, which are built offsite using modern methods of construction (MMC) and lowered onto their final position on-site with all the groundworks completed. The units are being supplied by Daiwa House Modular, @Home and Beattie Passive.
Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, was joined by Council Leader, Huw Thomas, to view the new homes before families moved in.
Cllr Thorne said: “It was only a short time ago back in August that these units arrived on site and it’s been lovely to have a look around this bright and spacious temporary accommodation before families move in. The number of families currently needing help from our homeless services is the highest we have ever known, so we really need solutions like these to help us respond quickly to current pressures.
“We are doing everything we can to provide accommodation for people who need good quality, affordable housing in the city. Just a couple of weeks back I visited a new development in St Mellons to receive the keys for 13 new council homes. Our development programme is gathering pace all the time, helping to address the very high demand we’re seeing.”
Ed Rees, Regional Managing Director for Wales at Wates, said: “We are very proud to work in partnership with Cardiff Council in order to swiftly provide more affordable and quality homes for those in urgent need. Our accelerated homes programme provides a sustainable, cost effective and temporary solution to the immediate need for more homes, whilst also allowing communities to grow and create a sense of place.”
In the longer term, the Council has plans to develop the Gasworks site to provide around 500 new homes, a mix of private homes and council housing, to contribute to the authority’s target of building 4,000 new homes across the city. As permanent homes are developed in phases, the modular homes can be dismantled and reused at other locations in the city in response to housing need.
Almost 900 new council homes have already been delivered over recent years, construction is currently underway on a further 419 homes while work is expected to begin on site on another 245 new homes before the end of this year.
Elsewhere in the city, one of the council’s new Community Living Schemes on the Cardiff Living development Aspen Grove in Rumney is nearing completion. Addison House will be the first of 10 Community Living developments to be built across the city as part of Cardiff Council’s Older Persons’ housing strategy.
Designed to meet the needs of older people, the four-storey block will provide 44 one- and two-bedroom spacious, accessible and adaptable flats for older people, promoting independent living.
Cllr Thorne added: “We are very excited about Addison House nearing completion before the end of the year, as are a number of older existing council tenants who have already expressed an interest in relocating there and downsizing from their current properties.
“This would free up larger family properties in the city and help us address the significant pressures we are experiencing on family homelessness services.”
