Identifying Affordable Housing Needs In The Penygroes Area

Residents living in the Llanllyfni community council area are being urged to complete a local housing needs survey in order to assist with the task of establishing the kind of houses that should be developed for the area. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Following detailed research, Penygroes has been identified as a specific community where there is lack of opportunities for people to buy houses for the first time as well as a suitable provision of houses available to rent. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

As part of a joint project funded by Gwynedd Council with construction work to be carried out by Grŵp Cynefin, Llanllyfni Community Council in conjunction with the Gwynedd Rural Housing Enabler has commissioned a local housing needs survey to establish the exact nature of the area’s needs as well as to determine interest shown towards an exciting scheme of mixed development on the outskirts of the village of Penygroes. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Councillor Ioan Thomas, Gwynedd Council Cabinet Member with responsibility for Housing said: “As a Council, we are committed to increasing the supply and variety of houses in order to meet the needs of the people of Gwynedd. The work being carried out in Penygroes enables us to engage with the community to find out the exact needs of residents. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“Within the current challenging economic climate, we are eager to work together with partners such as Grŵp Cynefin in order to develop clusters of affordable housing that would be available to rent or buy. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“I am confident that this model offers a great opportunity for us as a Council to play an important role in the work of ensuring a suitable provision of houses for the county’s residents.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Gwynedd Council Leader, Councillor Dyfed Edwards, who leads on Housing on the Welsh Local Government Association, and is also a local member for Penygroes said: “Working towards securing a fitting provision of housing that is within the reach of Gwynedd families is one of the Council’s main priorities. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We’re all aware of young families who find it extremely difficult to access the housing market. Indeed, statistics show that a large proportion of the county’s population has been priced out of the open market. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“The need for suitable housing is increasing and we must think creatively in order to find solutions. This is why we as an authority are glad to be able to use the Council’s financial strengths to work together with partners to look at new and exciting ways to improve the housing provision within the county. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“We are aware of certain areas where there are new houses aren’t being built despite a real desire from young people to secure their own homes so that they can bring up children within their communities. We therefore encouraging residents who live in the area of the Llanllyfni Community Council to complete the local housing needs survey that has been distributed locally – the comments presented will form a basis for developing the suitable type of housing in order to meet the needs of the area’s residents.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

Arfon Hughes, Rural Housing Enabler added: “Do we need more housing in this area? That’s a question someone asked me recently and I reacted by saying that people are tied to homes that are unsuitable for their needs – older people requiring bungalows, or young people wanting independence and families requiring larger houses. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

“If there is a demand for the above then we need to respond to this, whether it be through new housing or present stock, and the Community Council and myself want to discover what this need is.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

The local housing needs survey has been distributed to homes in the Llanllyfni Community Council area. To have your say, return the questionnaire to the Grŵp Cynefin Offices, Tŷ Silyn, Y Sgwâr, Penygroes, LL54 6LY by Friday, 9 December 2016 or online: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/TB6GDCS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​