Bowling Club flats officially opened

Powys County Council has officially opened a £3.4 million housing development, which offers 26 one-bedroom flats to residents in the area.

The development, known as Y Lawnt, or The Green, has been built on a former bowling green in the center of Newtown, next to the town's Back Lane car park and the long-running Newtown Bowling Club, which was founded in 1892.

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The flats are owned and managed by Powys County Council and have been allocated to tenants through 'Homes in Powys,' a one-stop-shop for all social housing in the county. The Common Allocation Scheme allows anyone looking for genuinely affordable, secure homes to make one application and then be considered by the council and eight housing associations for a new place to live.

All the flats will be let on secure contracts, giving tenants the opportunity to make the energy-efficient apartments their 'forever homes.' Rents will be among the lowest in Powys, helping people to better manage the cost-of-living challenges that many now face.

The Welsh Government provided £2.2 million towards the project through its Innovative Housing Programme. The development is an example of low-carbon living, with high specification new homes that will be more economical for tenants to run in an era of high energy costs. The innovative building methods used can be adopted by the construction partners Pave Aways and its sub-contractors on other low-carbon developments in the future.

Cllr Matthew Dorrance, PCC's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for a Fairer Powys, said:

"I've been bowled over by this low-carbon development in the center of Newtown, which is helping us provide much-needed additional low-cost homes for Powys residents,"

"I'm grateful to Welsh Government for the funding provided and for the work of officers in the council's Affordable Housing Team and our construction partners Pave Aways for delivering this high-quality project. Y Lawnt is helping us do our bit towards tackling both the housing and climate emergencies we are facing."

The guests at the official opening included representatives of Powys County Council and its Tenant Scrutiny Panel, contractors Pave Aways, and Newtown and Llanllwchaiarn Town Council. This development is a positive step towards providing affordable and sustainable housing for residents in the area.

Pictured: Cllr Matthew Dorrance, Cllr Joy Jones (Newtown East) and Mayor of Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn, Cllr John Byrne.