Council unveils ambitious plans to build and improve council homes

13 March 2024

More than £170m investment is planned as part of a five-year programme that will see new council homes built and improvements made to existing council homes, Powys County Council has said.

The council has unveiled its latest "At Home in Powys - Housing Business Plan", which will be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday, 19 March.

The ambitious plan would see the council build more than 330 new council homes by 2028-29 as part of an investment package worth almost £104m.

The plan also includes investment worth more than £35m over the next five years in the council's existing homes to make sure they continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard, which requires houses owned by housing associations and local authorities to be in good condition.

Other programmes of work as part of the Housing Business Plan includes:

• Compliance One Hundred - More than £9.6m to make sure all council homes and associated assets are 100% compliant with all relevant and applicable legislation and regulation;
• Green Powys - More than £12.5m to increase fuel efficiency in council homes, reduce fuel poverty, help cut carbon emissions and tackle climate change. This will also include funding to encourage and support a greener future for council housing estates;
• Fit for Life - More than £4.3m to make council homes better suited to the needs of older people and those with health-related needs that impair or adversely affect their mobility; and
• Love Where You Live - More than £6.8m to improve the wellbeing of communities through improvements to council homes and estates.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said: "This ambitious plan will get the council building high-quality council homes to help us tackle the housing emergency.

"The Homes in Powys - Housing Business Plan puts in place the money needed to make our homes more energy efficient for our tenants - tackling fuel poverty and ensuring council homes are doing their bit to tackle climate change.

"The plan also pledges continued investment in our existing council homes to make sure that we continue to meet the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

"This plan will help build a stronger, fairer, greener future for Powys."