More energy efficient homes set for city

Swansea Council is pushing forward with future plans for even more homes under its award winning More Homes project, which has seen the creation of almost 90 new build homes across the city in recent years.

All the new homes have been developed under the 'Swansea Standard' design and include innovative features such as solar roofs, battery storage and ground source heating - helping to keep energy bills low.

Sites have included Colliers Way in Blaenymaes, Parc yr Helig in Birchgrove and Hill View Crescent in Clase.

The latest plans for even more new homes include 13 new homes at the Brondeg House site in Manselton, nine in Clase at the site of the former housing office, 160 in Bonymaen and 22 in Ravenhill.

Ambitious plans are also progressing for the redevelopment of council homes and estate regeneration at Tudno Place and Heol Emrys in Penlan, which will also include a number of new build homes as part of the scheme.

More than 100 council homes at Croft Street are also set for a complete makeover, starting later in the year.

As well as creating new homes in Swansea, the Council has also invested in existing properties, buying back former council homes that have previously been purchased by residents under the old Right to Buy legislation which is now abolished in Wales.

This has seen a further 156 homes added to the council's housing stock, along with a further 21 through property conversions of existing council buildings no longer in use.

These include four modern flats created in the former District Housing Office in Bonymaen, six more at the old office in Penlan and a former social services respite building at Alexandra Road in Gorseinon is now two semi-detached council homes.

The Council has approved £55million for housing this year and has committed to spending £250million over the next five years to enable the major housing improvements in the city to continue.

Andrea Lewis, Joint Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for service transformation, said: "Over the last decade or so we've committed more than £500m to upgrading our tenants' homes and building new ones to help tackle the housing crisis.

"We've succeeded in creating a wide range of new energy efficient homes in all parts of the city, using in-house building services as well as utilising local trades to help create the new 'Swansea Standard' homes.

"These homes have also been recognised nationally and picked up awards at APSE Service Awards last year.

"Over the next five years we'll be spending another £250m improving people's homes and building more-energy efficient homes to increase the supply of council housing."

"The ongoing housing crisis in the UK is creating huge demand for homes for families as well as single people. In Swansea, we are doing everything we can to increase our housing stock by building new homes and buying back former council homes.

"I'd like to thank our housing and building services teams for working so closely together on all the exceptional projects we are delivering here in Swansea."