Work has started on a new development of affordable homes in a largely Welsh-speaking village in the Conwy Valley.<\/p>\n
Local residents and Aberconwy MP say the scheme by housing association Cartrefi Conwy will help safeguard the future of Penmachno – and the village school.<\/p>\n
Cartrefi Conwy decided to press ahead with the development after a survey showed a clear need to meet local demand.<\/p>\n
Six houses are being built on the site near Ysgol Penmachno – four three-bedroom properties and two two-bedroom properties.<\/p>\n
The land at Maes-y-Waen was earmarked for housing by Snowdonia National Park Authority in their Local Development Plan.<\/p>\n
A second phase would see a further six houses being built when a local need is demonstrated.<\/p>\n
Villagers were updated on progress at a special drop-in session at the Ty’n y Porth Community Hall.<\/p>\n
Among those who attended was father-of-one Mic Roberts who was brought up in Penmachno – and doesn’t want to live anywhere else.<\/p>\n
Mr Roberts said: “I have one son and we have another child on the way.<\/p>\n
“Personally, I think there’s a big need for a development like this to keep young families in the village so they don’t have to move away because they can’t afford to buy a house.<\/p>\n
“Buying a house is so expensive and we live in an area where the wages are generally low.<\/p>\n
“This will help keep the school open and ensure the future of the village.<\/p>\n
“The house where we live at the moment has two bedrooms but the second bedroom is just a box room and there’s no room to swing a cat downstairs.<\/p>\n
“We live right on the side of the road which is a worry.<\/p>\n
“I am from the village and I don’t want to leave. I have got great friends here and you don’t have the problems here that you have in towns.<\/p>\n
“I was raised here and I want to raise my children here.”<\/p>\n
The scheme also met with the approval of Aberconwy MP Guto Bebb.<\/p>\n
He said: “I am pleased the development is taking shape, especially as the consultation clearly listened to local opinion and that the development is meeting local need.<\/p>\n
“The fact that affordable homes suitable for young families are being built is to be welcomed by local people and will generate more pupils for the village school.”<\/p>\n
There was also support from Elfed Williams, the Clerk to the Community Council.<\/p>\n
According to Mr Williams:”The most important thing for us is that these houses are going to be for local people.<\/p>\n
“It’s a historic development in Penmachno because nothing has been built here for many years.<\/p>\n
“We’re hoping these houses will help safeguard the future of the village school – it is difficult to sustain rural, Welsh speaking communities and we hope this development will help.<\/p>\n
The level of support came as no surprise to Gwynne Jones, Cartrefi Conwy’s Operations Director.<\/p>\n
Mr Jones said: “One of the aims of today’s event is to assure the community they will have the first bite of the cherry in relation to the first lets.<\/p>\n
“There is a Section 106 agreement signed with Snowdonia National Park which states that priority will be given to people who have lived within the Bro Machno or adjoining community councils for a continuous period of five years, so there has to be a local connection.<\/p>\n
“Penmachno is a large village, and it is important that people can stay in the communities that they were born and bred in.”<\/p>\n
Mr Jones also revealed that the new homes will be built to sustainable code level 4 meaning that energy costs would be kept to a minimum thanks to the use of air source heat pumps and photovoltaic panels.<\/p>\n
He added: “Hopefully the new tenants moving in will see savings on their fuel bills.<\/p>\n
“We’re also putting sprinkler systems into the properties ahead of the expected legislation on this by the Welsh Government.<\/p>\n
It was a proud day for Brian Roberts, Chair of Cartrefi Conwy’s Development Committee.<\/p>\n
He said: “This is a historic day for Cartrefi Conwy in the sense that this is our first housing development.<\/p>\n
“There are other developments in the pipeline we are aiming to build 100 new homes over the next five years.”<\/p>\n