Work has started on a ground-breaking £1.4 million social housing scheme aimed at rebuilding a community in Rhyl.
The new Afallon development in Abbey Street is in the heart of the town’s West End and overlooks the Gerddi Heulwen green space which opened last year.
The driving force behind the scheme is West Rhyl Housing Co-operative, Wales’ first urban rental housing co-operative, formed by North Wales Housing and West Rhyl Community Land Trust.
Fiona Davies, Chair of the Trust, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for local families to benefit from brand new high quality, affordable housing. The aim of the Cooperative is to re-build the close-knit community that once thrived in West Rhyl.”
Tenants become members of the housing co-operative, which entitles them to become involved in how their properties are managed and to determine and influence future plans and projects in the area.
Barry Mellor, Mayor of Rhyl, welcomed the development and said: “It’s fantastic.
It’s what we’ve needed her for a long, long time and it will boost this area considerably.
“For the Community Land Trust to do this is unbelievable and to have a local company building it is superb – what we need now is for other companies to get on board to help out.”
Award-winning Rhyl-based builders Anwyl will build seven new three-bedroom family homes with private gardens and parking and are refurbishing former commercial premises which will house a community shop and a bakery on the ground floor with two one-bedroom and two two-bedroom flats above.
Paul Diggory, Chief Executive of North Wales Housing, said: “North Wales Housing are proud to be part of this important regeneration of West Rhyl.
“Afallon is an attractive community housing project providing real family homes built to a high specification and standard of energy efficiency.
“It aims to create a vibrant community where families and businesses wish to settle and grow.”
Anwyl Construction Director Tom Anwyl said: “As a firm that was founded 85 years ago in Rhyl we have a real sense of involvement in the town and there are so many buildings here which we have worked on.
“We have played a part in the community and trained and employed many people from Rhyl and it’s symbolic of our ongoing commitment to the town that we’re now heavily involved in the regeneration of this area.
“This is an attractive community housing project providing real family homes built to a high specification and standard of energy efficiency.
“The homes have nice gardens with a community shop as part of the development and in front there is the pleasant parkland area of Gerddi Heulwen which is all very different to what was here before.”
Denbighshire County Councillor for West Rhyl Joan Butterfield, a member of the Trust, said: “It’s a really wonderful opportunity for the people here to start building a true community from day one.
“It’s a real social enterprise project involving the people who live here and providing them with opportunities and skills and I believe it will lift the whole of Rhyl.”
Nikki Jones, Director of WRCLT, said: “We are keen to hear from local families wishing to become part of the cooperative and apply to live in the new family houses.
“If people who currently live or work in Rhyl or surrounding areas are interested there is still time to apply to become tenants.”
For further information and how to apply call 01745 339779 or email wrclt2@outlook.com.
