Councillors Updated on Trio of Potential Home Building Projects in Blaenau Gwent

COUNCILLORS have been given an update on a trio of potential home building projects in Blaenau Gwent.
At a Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Place scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday, October 17, councillors were given an update on three separate schemes earmarked for council owned land.
The updates were asked for by councillors at a meeting in September.
Cllr Julie Holt said that she had read of a planning application had been lodged with the council to build 22 homes on a brown field site in the Lower Ebbw Fach Valley.
She wondered if this was also the same as a proposal for 18 affordable homes for the old leisure centre site in Abertillery.
Cllr Holt said: “Could we get clarification on where these houses are being built and what the timelines for planning and starting.”
Business and regeneration service manager, Owen Ashton said “The housing site in question is the Abertillery old leisure centre site it’s for 22 homes and a planning application has been received,”
Committee chairman, Cllr Malcolm Cross asked for the item to return to committee when more detail has been received on the proposal.
In September Cllr Keith Chaplin had asked who is the registered social landlord interested in developing the Six Bells colliery site.
Mr Ashton said: “Melin Homes is the RSL that’s interested in the site.
Cllr Chaplin asked what’s “holding up” development of the site and believed Melin Homes had been interested in the site for “so long” a time.
Mr Ashton answered he would check why there had been a delay.
“A lot of these sites take time to develop,” stressed Mr Ashton.
Cllr Cross said: “We all know the shortage of rental accommodation in Blaenau Gwent at present.
“There’s somewhere in the realms of 5,000 people on the waiting list looking for accommodation.
“That’s frightening figure really.”
Coming to the Nantyglo (comprehensive) school site, Mr Ashton said that this is one of the “prime sites for residential development” in the whole of Blaenau Gwent and that the council is “quite keen” it provides the most benefit for the community.
He added that the council were in the process of asking builders for “expression of interest” in how they could develop the site.
Mr Ashton said he hoped the expressions of interest can be returned “before Christmas.”
Mr Ashton said: “That will give us an opportunity to consider the nature of the development and the types of proposal.
“There are lots of examples across South Wales of the joint venture type of development with local authorities – we’re quite keen to have a look at what options to use as local authority to maximise the source of economic benefits of developing that housing site.
Cllr Sonia Behr welcomed the news that the council were to ask for expressions of interest to develop site which had been: “empty for years.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​