Scheme will build 55 new eco-homes and refit flats
NEATH-BASED firms JG Hale Construction and timber frame construction specialist SO Modular are collaborating to build 55 new homes and refurbish 72 existing flats in Aberavon.
The scheme will eventually provide 127 carbon-neutral homes for social housing provider, Tai Tarian, delivered across three phases, over three years. The apartments will transform an existing 1950s built apartment building (County Flats) overlooking Aberavon seafront.
The project is a continuation of the existing relationship between JG Hale Construction, SO Modular, and Tai Tarian, and is funded by the Innovative Housing Programme (IHP) – a Welsh Government funded initiative to encourage and test innovative approaches to constructing social and affordable housing in Wales.
Construction of the new homes and refurbishment of the flats will be completed utilising modern methods of construction (MMC), including construction of all new homes off-site at SO Modular’s timber frame factory.
The scheme will achieve carbon neutrality via a range of in-house green and sustainable initiatives.
Most notable of these is the use of natural, eco-friendly forms of insulation made from three unusual and innovative materials: Welsh sheep’s wool, locally sourced from Neathbased Crynant Farm; mycelium, the vegetative filament root structure of mushrooms; and a wood-fibre insulation developed in-house at SO Modular.
The pioneering insulation methods are providing a pilot study for the viability of their use in the wider construction industry.
As well as reducing the project’s overall carbon footprint, the use of these materials and technology aims to reduce fuel poverty for the development’s tenants by ensuring all homes are built with the top E The companies are committed to using local sub-contractors and suppliers, with all suppliers and sub-contractors for the Sandfields project sourced from within Wales, with 95% residing within Neath and Swansea.
In collaboration with Neath Port Talbot College, the partnership will also be providing specialist, innovative traineeships, via their in-house training academy. The trainees will be supported by in-house mentors, who are specialists in their respective fields. A range of community benefits will also be provided for the local community, coinciding with the Welsh Minister of Housing’s Wellbeing of Future Generations Wales Act, 2015.
Tai Tarian’s director of assets, Andrew Carey, said: “Built in the 1950s, the flats are looking tired and are in desperate need of updating. This development will do just that and will provide flats that will be amongst the most energy efficient and sustainable homes in Wales.
“It’s fantastic that we will be working with JG Hale Construction, who have committed to using local products and local people.”
David Harrhy, managing director of JG Hale Construction, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with SO Modular on this incredibly innovative project for Tai Tarian. The development, when completed, will be completely unique in its use of new sustainable materials and technologies, which we are sure will become more widely used within the construction industry.
“We fully support Tai Tarian’s objective to reduce fuel poverty for its social housing tenants, and by building all homes to the ultimate EPA rating of A, we will not only be helping the tenants save money on their fuel bills, but also be helping reduce energy usage, which is great news in tackling climate change.”
Charlotte Hale, operations director at SO Modular, said: “We’re very proud to be working on this collaboration with JG Hale Construction for social housing provider Tai Tarian. The use of these ground-breaking materials should set the standard for similar, future developments.”