Carmarthenshire housing development officially opened
Our first housing development in the Carmarthenshire town of St Clears, Maes Yr Hufenfa, has been officially opened by Cllr Linda Evans, Deputy Leader and Housing Cabinet Member at Carmarthenshire County Council.
Named after a former creamery and butter factory which once stood on the site, our £8.9 million development provides homes for more than 100 residents including around 40 children.
Cllr Linda Evans was joined by our Group Chief Executive, Anne Hinchey, and Chair of our Wales & West Housing Group Board, Alex Ashton, as she cut a ribbon to officially open Maes Yr Hufenfa.
They were joined by local county councillors, Philip Hughes and Carys Jones, the Mayor of St. Clears, Annalyn Davies, and Deputy Mayor, Owain Grant, staff and Board members at Wales & West Housing and partners from Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd.
Following the ribbon-cutting guests visited two of the families, who moved in last summer. One was Catherine Jones, who downsized from a three-bedroom council-owned house in St. Clears to her two-bedroom home at Maes Yr Hufenfa, which she shares with her grown-up son.
She said: “The house is ideal for me and my son. It’s nicely built, warm and economical to run. It’s a lovely street and everyone here is friendly.”
During the official opening Cllr Linda Evans said: “The demand for housing today is at its highest ever. Carmarthenshire County Council has over 9,300 homes and is building new homes, but to respond to the need we are grateful to housing associations like Wales & West Housing for their commitment to work with us.”
“Maes Yr Hufenfa is a perfect example of what we can achieve when we work together to meet the needs of local people and families who need homes. I hope the residents are happy in their beautiful new homes for many years to come.”
Cllr Linda Evans, Deputy Leader and Housing Cabinet Member at Carmarthenshire County Council
Alex Ashton, Chair of our WWHG Board, added: “We were delighted to welcome Cllr Linda Evans to officiate at the opening of Maes Yr Hufenfa.
“We are proud of the homes we have built in St Clears. Being welcomed by residents and hearing how the energy-efficiency technologies we are building into our homes are making them more comfortable and affordable to run, makes all the difference.
“We look forward to working together with the County Council to build more homes and help tackle the housing crisis in the future.”
Alex Ashton, Chair of Wales & West Housing Group Board
“Wales & West Housing manages more than 200 affordable homes in Carmarthenshire, and we look forward to working with the County Council to build more homes and help tackle the continuing housing crisis.”
The homes at Maes Yr Hufenfa have been built in partnership with Carmarthenshire County Council and Welsh Government. Construction took two years and was carried out by lead contractor Jones Brothers (Henllan) Ltd. All homes are built to the highest EPC rating A and are fitted with air source heat pumps for heating and hot water and PV (Photovoltaic) panels to generate electricity for the homes.
Benefits to the community
As well as providing homes for local people on Carmarthenshire County Council’s housing waiting lists, the development created 25 jobs during the construction and has supported a number of community projects. These included projects with pupils at neighbouring Ysgol Griffith Jones and the 2nd St. Clears Scout Group. We also provided sponsorship for St. Clears Carnival 2023 and new kit for St. Clears AFC Football Club through our Making A Difference funding.
As a lasting legacy, we are also working with St. Clears Town Council to create a community woodland on a two-acre site behind the homes that can be used by students of Ysgol Griffith Jones and other community groups.
