First year success for Neighbourhood Renewal Programme in Port Talbot

133 homes in Port Talbot are now more energy efficient thanks to the Council’s Neighbourhood Renewal Programme.

Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council Cllr Ali Thomas pictured with Mr. Watts outside his home in Beverley Street, Port Talbot

The Neighbourhood Renewal Programme is one of a number of projects being delivered as part of Port Talbot’s three year Vibrant and Viable Places Regeneration Programme where over 300 homes will be targeted for energy efficiency improvements such as external wall insulation with an over render system.

There will also be some funding available for new energy efficient boilers and loft insulation. Some properties in the Port Talbot town area will also benefit from additional renovation works not only making them more energy efficient but also more secure and weather proof.

Last year, the Council secured funding from the Welsh Government’s Vibrant and Viable Places Programme. The three year programme will see over £30m invested in transforming the living and working environment in the town centre.

In the first year the programme also benefited from an additional £1.2m of Welsh Government ‘Maximising ECO’ funding and ‘Energy Company Obligation’ funding from Npower which means that even more homes in the Port Talbot, Sandfields and Aberavon areas benefited from energy efficiency improvements.

There are local and national government targets to reduce carbon emissions, and by insulating people’s homes and helping to reduce their energy consumption we will help to lift householders out of fuel poverty.

The authority is currently undertaking further surveys of the area to assess which properties could be eligible for grant funding for the next phase of the Programme. Once the surveys have been completed the Council will seek to secure additional funding to ensure that as many households as possible are able to benefit from energy efficiency improvements.

The Council does not invite individual applications from households for these grants as groups or blocks of properties in the greatest need will be targeted.

Mr. and Mrs Watts of Beverly Street have already benefited from the grant funding.

They said: “Before we had the work done, the roof was in a very bad state and we had terrible condensation because of leaking windows. Now, coming back home after being out all day, the house is still warm, even if the heating has been off.

“We can’t fault the contractors doing the work. Nothing was too much trouble for them and after only a couple of weeks of disruption we find ourselves walking past our house and not recognising it. We are absolutely delighted.”

Cllr. Ali Thomas OBE, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council said: “This regeneration programme has already made a real difference during what remains a very tough time for many families. Doing this work will not only have a positive impact on carbon emissions, but also help reduce fuel poverty by targeting some of our most vulnerable communities.

“We will continue to source additional funding so that we can improve as many homes as possible over the next two years.”

To find out more about regeneration in Neath Port Talbot go to www.npt.gov.uk/places.