Residents have moved into new energy efficient homes built on the site of the former Cwm Ifor Primary School in Penyrheol, Caerphilly.
The 19 homes have all been built to Passivhaus standard; meaning they use high-performance insulation to make a building completely draught free, eliminating heat loss to create homes with very low environmental impact.
United Welsh worked in partnership with contractor Kingfisher Developments Ltd and Caerphilly County Borough Council to build the development, which received investment from the Welsh Government Innovative Housing Fund.
Lynn Morgan, Director of Development and Regeneration for United Welsh said:
“I am delighted to see residents move into these new homes in Penyrheol.
“It is important for us to build homes that use green technology so we can play our part in reducing the impact of climate change in Wales, and this development is another positive step in bringing more affordable, high-quality housing to Caerphilly borough.”
The 19 new homes include 12 one-bedroom apartments, 4 two-bedroom homes and 3 three-bedroom houses. They all use solar energy, and as they are highly insulated to prevent energy loss, they have heat recovery systems installed to supply fresh filtered air.
Cllr Shayne Cook, Caerphilly Council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, added:
“Working with our partners to deliver high quality, affordable housing is a key priority for the Council. This exciting development not only helps meet local need, but also addresses the issue of fuel poverty and links to the Council’s commitment to lower carbon emissions in the county borough.”
New resident Joanna moved into her new home in April.
She said: “We were so happy when we found out we would be moving here. We love living here and I’m so proud to live in a low carbon house.”
The Cwm Ifor development provided opportunities for eight United Welsh residents and ex-military personal to gain employment and learn new green construction skills.
United Welsh has built over 1,000 homes in the past five years and intends to provide 1,300 more in the next five.
