Three blocks flats in Llanelli are getting a £2.5 million makeover, which their owner said will cut residents’ energy bills and be better for the environment. The retrofit project at Sunny Hill includes external wall insulation and replacement windows for 32 one and two-bedroom flats, along with new heating systems and solar panel and battery installation. Additionally, there’ll be new entrance canopies, metal railings, trees, and shrubs.
The application by housing association Pobl Group, with support from Pentan Architects, has been approved by Carmarthenshire Council and will be funded by the Welsh Government through its optimised retrofit programme, in collaboration with Pobl Group. Detailed plans are being finalised with contractors, with work expected to commence just before or after Christmas.
Patrick Stone, head of assets at Pobl Group, which manages more than 23,000 properties, emphasized the importance of making homes greener as part of efforts to reduce the impact of climate change across Wales. He highlighted that their goal is to make homes more environmentally and financially sustainable.
Jayne Bryant, Wales’s cabinet secretary for housing and local government, commended the work being done by Pobl to decarbonise and upgrade existing homes, expressing support for their plans for Sunny Hill. She mentioned that the retrofit programme supports the social housing sector in decarbonizing homes, with nearly £260 million already invested. Bryant stressed the significance of the 2020s being a decade of decarbonization for housing.
In summary, the transformation of these flats in Llanelli represents a positive step towards environmentally friendly and financially sustainable housing solutions in Wales. The implementation of solar panels, new heating systems, and cladding demonstrates a commitment to reducing energy consumption and combating climate change, offering a template for future housing developments in the region.