New Council Houses
I’m happy to see Caerphilly County Borough Council embarking on plans to begin building council homes again. The initial plans for 46 homes across the borough is a welcome start, and I hope over the coming years the number of new build council homes will increase further. We need to build the right homes in the right places.
By leaving it purely to the market, affordable homes just won’t get built in sufficient numbers. There’ve been endless examples of sites in the Caerphilly constituency where the proportion of affordable housing has been less than the recognised target level and built in completely the wrong places.
I hope to see proposals to secure more affordable homes to rent through the planning system and note the building of new Council homes via this method is an option. The building of council homes in Caerphilly has been made more possible by the Welsh Assembly’s new Affordable Housing Grant. Local Authorities can now claim up to 58% of the cost of building council homes through this grant, so Welsh Government needs to continue working with local authorities to meet housing need.
Finding Funding
Part of the role of an Assembly Member is to work with groups and organisations in their constituency. That’s why I’m joining with funding providers to host a funding surgery on Monday, October 8 at my constituency office in the Bargoed YMCA. There are too many local groups making a difference in my constituency to mention. All have their own important part to play, and most local groups are organised by volunteers who don’t get paid, but do so out of the love for their cause.
When I was a councillor for the St Cattwg ward I was chair of a management committee that secured a £400,000 Big Lottery investment in Tir Y Berth Village Hall. I know how painstaking the work can be to secure funding, so that’s why I’m hosting the surgery.
My funding surgery is being run in association with The Big Lottery, Arts Council of Wales, GAVO, Heritage Lottery and Sport Wales. If you would like to come along to speak to any of these organisations then please contact my office on 01443 838 542.