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Work to build new council-owned flats is now underway in Trecenydd.

Six new one-bedroom flats are being built at the Crescent on the site of the former 49 Club, which closed in 2009 and caught fire the same year.

The council has said the apartments will be built to Passivhaus standard – meaning it will have ‘very high’ levels of insulation, ‘airtight’ building fabric and and a mechanical heat ventilation system, as well as lower carbon emissions.

The flats are expected to be completed in the Spring.

The council has appointed contractors Willmott Dixon as its delivery partner, while Penallta-based Caledan Ltd will supply the steel frames used in the construction.

The project is being funded through the Welsh Government’s Innovative Housing Programme.

The £3.1m funds will go towards the project, as well as towards the construction of new council-owned flats in Trethomas.

Before this year, no council housing had been built in the borough for nearly 20 years.

However, alongside the developments in Trecenydd and Trethomas, council housing is being built near Aberbargoed.

Six of the 55 homes being built on the site of the former Bedwellty Comprehensive School site will become part of the council’s stock.

Plans for a further 46 homes on the playing fields next to the school site were green-lit by the council in September 2020. These are expected to include seven council-owned homes.

Council leader Philippa Marsden described the new council housing as a “significant milestone for us”.

She said: “We are incredibly excited to embark on this journey, with the pilot schemes at Trecenydd and Trethomas being the first steps in a large-scale programme of development over the coming years.”

The council’s Cabinet Member for Housing, Cllr Lisa Phipps, said: “There are currently over 4,500 people registered for social housing in the county borough, so developing high quality homes to help meet that demand is a key priority for us.”

She added: “We’re also committed to exploring innovative ways to reduce tenants’ energy bills and tackle climate change, whilst also maximising the investment being made through our house building programme, by using local supply chains and delivering wider benefits for our communities.”