Latest news with #Hedyn
Business News Wales
2 hours ago
- Business
- Business News Wales
South Wales Developer Celebrates Volunteers' Week
Developer Lovell celebrated Volunteers' Week by looking back on some of the recent volunteering work it has taken part in. Volunteers' Week is an awareness campaign sponsored by Works4U, which highlights the diversity and unity of volunteer work across the UK, and has been running for over 40 years. One of the recent Lovell volunteering initiatives took place at the Ringland Regeneration project in Newport. 19 people from Lovell and its partners on the project Hedyn gave up their time to take part in the third community litter picking session since work started on the site last year, with the help of equipment supplied by Keep Wales Tidy. The Presbyterian Church in Ringland who assisted and provided the team with hot drinks and food once the work was finished. Lovell also took part in a record-breaking river clean up in Pontypridd. Lovell's Social Value Manager Meriel Gough, Marketing and Business Development Coordinator Noorhan Griffiths, Bid Coordinator Tom McDonald, and Build Manager Paul Phillips took part in Taff Tidy, a world record attempt for the largest mass river clean-up which was organised by Keep Wales Tidy and Kate Strong. The project saw volunteers at nine different locations along the River Taff take part in a simultaneous river picking effort, to beat the previous world record of 329 volunteers which was set on the River Gange. The Lovell employees gave up four hours of their time to improving the local area, and along with the other volunteers across the region were able to decisively beat the record with 1,327 people taking part in total. Gemma Clissett, regional partnerships director at Lovell, said: 'At Lovell, giving back to the communities we build in is a crucial part of our core values. We are very proud of the volunteering work we do, and all the other community work we carry out with schools, colleges and other local organisations. We look forward to offering our help and support to more of them going forward.' The Ringland Regeneration project is a large-scale transformation programme being delivered by Lovell for Hedyn (formerly Newport City Homes), bringing a new lease of life to the Ringland area of Newport. The £47 million project will see 158 new homes be provided and the Ringland shopping centre be relocated.
Powys County Times
5 days ago
- Business
- Powys County Times
Plans for 16 homes on old Powys Council site in Hay on Wye
Plans for 16 affordable homes on a former county council owned site in a Powys town have been revealed. Pegasus developments and Hedyn housing association want to redevelop the site of the former Hay-on-Wye community centre off Oxford Road in the town. A pre-application consultation is under way for residents and consultees to give their views on the proposal before the application is formally lodged with Bannau Brycheiniog national park planners. Planning agents LRM planning explained that the proposal also includes details about access, landscape, sustainable drainage, and associated works. LRM planning said 'Prior to submitting the planning application, we are undergoing a statutory pre-application consultation exercise in line with Welsh Government guidelines. 'Every comment received will be reviewed, and the PAC Report will respond to each comment raised.' The agent added that there will be further opportunity to comment on the application once Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority, the planning authority for that part of Powys, receives the application. The future of the former community hall in the town has been a topic of discussion at the council. Local county councillor for Hay Cllr Gareth Ratcliffe (Liberal Democrat) had asked for an update on the site's future. Cllr Ratcliffe said: 'The former community centre site has remained empty for several years, and there is growing concern about its future use. 'The site was originally sold to Wales and West Housing, but I was informed last year that they no longer hold the site. 'I would be grateful if you could confirm who currently owns or holds responsibility for the site and provide an update on any plans for the site. 'The delivery of affordable housing has long been anticipated for this location.' Deputy council leader and cabinet member for housing, Cllr Matthew Dorrance (Labour) explained that the site, when owned by Wales and West housing association, had received outline planning permission for 19 housing units. This establishes the principle that the site can accommodate housing. Cllr Dorrance said: 'We understand that the site is now owned by Hedyn, a housing association created through the merger of housing associations Melin Homes and Newport City Homes. 'We have been advised that Hedyn intends to develop 12 two bed houses and four one bed flats as social rent tenure.' 'The proposed development will be considered for allocation of social Housing grant.' Cllr Dorrance added 'We await further details from Hedyn on the project.' The pre-application consultation ends on Friday June 20.
South Wales Argus
12-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Strong reaction to Newport City Homes and Melin merger
Announced on April 3, the new organisation will oversee more than 15,000 properties across five local authority areas, including Blaenau Gwent, Monmouthshire, Newport, Powys, and Torfaen. The two associations say their aim is to build "connected communities where everyone can live well". However, the response from the community has been far from universally positive. Many readers expressed scepticism and concern about the merger. One resident said: "This merger will be a disaster for Melin. "Melin have a good reputation... A few weeks ago I was shown some of the material that is being used for a report into the allocations process at Newport City Homes, which focuses on the reasons some applicants are being rejected." Paul Phoenix questioned the logic behind the merger, writing: "I'm not the brightest spark in the box but how the hell does one housing association with not enough houses merging with another housing association with not enough housing create extra houses." Some residents expressed hope for improvement. Sabina Islam wrote: "Let's hope their communication between departments gets better." Others highlighted concerns over housing allocation and shortages. Joel Guest said: "Expect even more shortages now that the local authority has branded the city a 'City of Sanctuary' without even consulting the ratepayers." Kath Whatley added: "I was told last week that Newport City homes have properties in their stock pile that don't go on to the bidding system." Steve Gosling said the merger would be "not fit for purpose" and likely a "disaster". Despite the negative feedback, Hedyn's management say their name, meaning "seed" in Welsh, was chosen after consultation with over 900 residents, partners, and colleagues, aiming to symbolise growth and positive change. Whether that vision will be realised remains to be seen.
South Wales Argus
08-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Newport affordable homes plan approved despite parking fears
The city council's planning committee has given its unanimous approval to plans to redevelop the land, off Kelvedon Street, for residential use. Neighbours had complained about the potential impact on parking, but planning officers said the expected demand for visitor spaces could be accommodated on surrounding streets. Formerly the home of a commercial printing business, the now-vacant site has 'significant potential to bring urban redevelopment' to the area, senior planning officer Joanne Davidson told the committee on Wednesday. The 22 one-bed and eight two-bed apartments, if completed, would be contained in a single building up to 10.6 metres in height, and each home would have its own balcony. The properties would reportedly be managed by Newport City Homes – which has recently merged with fellow housing association Melin Homes to form a new organisation, Hedyn. Ms Davidson said the initial proposal placed the apartments closer to Witham Street, but was moved further away from existing homes on council officers' advice. She told the committee the proposal for the site 'is welcomed, is positive… and the residential development is considered appropriate'. But during a public consultation period, the council received 33 objections from nearby residents, who said the area suffered 'constant parking problems' and feared the new apartments would 'generate significant additional traffic in an area already burdened by high vehicle usage'. They also raised concerns about the new homes potentially overlooking their properties, pressure on local services, and flood risk. The proposals include six visitor parking spaces – and a council report suggested additional visitor parking 'can be accommodated on-street at various times'. However, one objector to the application claimed that suggestion 'surely must be a joke'. Speaking at the meeting, Ms Davidson said planners 'understand parking is in high demand' at some times of day, but 'in parking terms the proposal is acceptable' and the site is in a highly sustainable location. Committee chairman Cllr Mark Spencer added there were 'ample parking spaces around the area'. Ms Davidson also said the new homes would be 'well in excess of' minimum distances from existing homes, and the building's ground floor level would be raised using retaining walls to mitigate any flood risks. Natural Resources Wales had judged any risks of flooding 'can be managed', she added. Cllr Gavin Horton, who also represents the Victoria ward where the new homes have been proposed, said the decision to move the proposed apartments further away from existing homes was 'sensible', adding he 'can't see anything wrong with' the redevelopment. Cllr John Reynolds noted the residents' many concerns, but said Newport had a 'desperate need for social housing' which 'far outweighs these issues'. The committee granted planning permission, subject to conditions and a Section 106 agreement covering potential developer contributions to affordable housing, education and leisure services.
South Wales Argus
03-05-2025
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Torfaen council 'private homes reluctant to let children go'
Councils across Wales are preparing for a new Welsh law that will ban the use of for-profit children's care providers including residential children's homes and independent fostering agencies. Jason O'Brien, the director for children's and family services at Torfaen Borough Council, told councillors removing children from private residential homes can be 'very difficult' as they do not want to lose income attached to the children. He said: 'It can be very difficult sometimes to move a child on from private provision it might be their need has reduced significantly but the provider wants to hold on to them as they are generating a profit.' The social services chief also said providers could also have an incentive to keep children with reduced need as they are 'less difficult to have' in their homes. In response to the Welsh Government's 'eliminate agenda' to remove for-profit children's care Torfaen is developing its own small children's homes and aiming to boost the number of its own in-house foster carers as well as reducing the numbers of children taken into care, which Mr O'Brien said is being driven by 'quality assurance and safeguarding'. He told the council's children and families scrutiny committee, that was examining how the council is preparing for the legislation that will be fully implemented by April 2030, placing children with for-profit providers meant the council is one step removed from their care. Children can also be placed out of county, including in England, which is more time consuming for social workers. 'There is an incentive for for-profit providers to have a child placed with them, for us within the local authority we do not have that incentive it is more on improving outcomes for that child.' Mr O'Brien acknowledged there is a financial incentive for the council to achieve savings by reducing the numbers of children in care but said it aims to do so by better supporting families. Torfaen has already opened its two-bedroom Greenhill children's home in Cwmbran with housing association Hedyn, formally known as Melin, has recently purchased a second home and is looking at buying a third as well as converting a property the council has been using for emergency placements. Those four will give Torfaen 13 beds and the committee was told of the 19 children currently in residential placements all but the two housed at Greenhill are with for-profit providers. Councillors were told the council has also 'benchmarked' costs of using for-profit providers, against using its own accommodation in partnership with non-profits, and is confident of savings. The council also has 35 children with independent foster agencies and Mr O'Brien said on average those placements cost the council around £1,000 a week compared to £400 for its in house carers. Some of those children in care will turn 18 before the new legislation is fully implemented, added Mr O'Brien. He also said there wouldn't be a return to the large scale children's homes that had been in place under the former Gwent County Council such as Coed Glass, that housed 30 children near Abergavenny, or Ty Mawr, that was also in an isolated rural location, and had 90 children. Mr O'Brien said: 'I would struggle to see the benefit of say a 10 bed provision beyond the financial, benefits of scale, but this is about outcomes and improving outcomes for children in our care.' He said the council wants small homes, with fewer children and staff, that are more like a 'family than residential environment' in communities. A smaller number of children also makes it easier to 'match' suitable children in a home, said Mr O'Brien. Councillors said they were satisfied with how the authority has prepared for the eliminate agenda but said the outcomes of changes it is putting in place, including a staff restructure, aren't known as yet and are likely to require further updates on progress.
