Council to establish housing company to build homes
CARMARTHENSHIRE County Council has laid the foundations for hundreds of new affordable homes to be built.
Executive Board today (November 27, 2017) agreed to establish a council-owned housing company to build a mix of new affordable homes for sale and rent, offering families an alternative to social housing with a particular focus on rural areas.
It will help more local people get a foot on the property ladder and will support local developers who are set to benefit from a boost in the construction industry, with new jobs and training opportunities on the horizon.
The company will open up new opportunities for hundreds of affordable homes to be developed outside the boundaries of the council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA), which limits investment to social housing.
The council’s current housing stock will not be affected and will remain in-house.
A detailed business plan will now be prepared and directors appointed, paving the way for the new company to start planning for new developments in 2018.
Cllr Linda Evans, executive board member for housing, said: “This new company will allow us to respond to the needs of the people of Carmarthenshire, working with contractors who understand our needs and build developments that will be of help to local people. This is exactly what we’ve asked for as a council and has been part of our affordable homes commitment from the start.”
Speaking before today’s meeting, Cllr Evans said: “We want to be proactive and creative in meeting the demand for affordable homes, whilst supporting the council’s wider regeneration objectives.
“We want to be able to take advantage of the skills of local companies and develop small sites in rural areas to help meet demand for homes away from the main urban areas – something that doesn’t seem to be happening by big private sector developers at the moment.”
- To watch the full debate and access the agenda documents about this discussion at Executive Board, visit the council and democracy section of the council’s website – carmarthenshire.gov.wales
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