Caerphilly Council plans could see more council housing built

An extra £15m is set to be put towards building more council houses across Caerphilly County Borough – if backed by councillors.

Council cabinet members have given the plans their approval, which would boost the council’s housing stock.

What is Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet?

A council’s cabinet is made up of councillors in charge of different policy areas – such as education, environment, local economy, etc – and a leader.

It is separate to the council’s corporate management structure, which is headed up by its chief executive and various directors. Cabinet is made up of councillors, who are elected and have the ultimate say.

Typically, cabinet members are councillors from the party with the most elected council members.

Caerphilly County Borough Council’s cabinet is made up of:

Cllr Sean Morgan (Nelson) – Leader
Cllr Jamie Pritchard (Morgan Jones) – Deputy Leader; Prosperity, Regeneration and Climate Change
Cllr Nigel George (Risca East) – Corporate Services and Property
Cllr Eluned Stenner (New Tredegar) – Finance and Performance
Cllr Carol Andrews (Gilfach) – Education and Communities
Cllr Shayne Cook (Morgan Jones) – Housing
Cllr Elaine Forehead (Van) – Social Care
Cllr Philippa Leonard (Risca East) – Planning and Public Protection
Cllr Chris Morgan (Machen and Rudry) – Waste, Leisure and Green Spaces

Corporate management is made up of unelected employees of the council and has responsibility for day-to-day management of services, such as making sure the bins are collected. Corporate directors work with cabinet members to come up with policy which is then agreed upon by the cabinet.

_{Last updated October 13, 2023}

The additional allocation of money, which was supported by the council’s cabinet on Wednesday, March 23, would go towards “adequately funding” a proposed new-build programme.

But a final decision will be made during a full council meeting on June 7.

Leader of the council, Cllr Philippa Marsden, said: “Our new-build agenda is really important to us and this is a key stepping stone for our ambitions.”

The borrowing cap is currently at £75 million, but it is proposed for this to increase to £90 million to pay for the new council houses.

The money would also be used to ensure every council-owned house remains up to the standards set out in the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS).

The proposal is part of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) business plan for 2022/23 – a Welsh Government requirement of all local authorities in Wales.

In a Housing and Regeneration Scrutiny Committee meeting, held on March 15, independent councillor Bob Owen, who represents Risca West, asked how the council ensures that houses in the borough, including those run by private landlords, are up to standard.

Nick Taylor-Williams, Head of Housing at the council, said the local authority frequently conducts tenant satisfaction surveys and maintains a “transparent” relationship with landlords and housing associations.

Senior councillors back plans which could see more council houses built

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