Partnerships

18 / 11 / 2021

Leading partnerships developer Lovell has handed over the final affordable homes to Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association at its Ymyl Yr Afon development in Merthyr Vale.

Ymyl Yr Afon is a £25 million mixed tenure development consisting of 153 homes, including a mix of 110 two, three and four-bedroom open market homes and 43 one, two, three and four-bedroom affordable homes.

Delivered in partnership with Lovell, Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Hafod, the development has seen huge success and has now reached completion. 

Ymyl Yr Afon is part of a major regeneration programme. Since construction work began in October 2018, it has transformed the site of the former Merthyr Vale Colliery into a thriving new community.

The programme, which was delivered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, also included the construction of a new access road, Golwg Yr Afon, and a primary school called Ynysowen Community Primary School.

James Duffett, regional managing director at Lovell, said: “We are delighted to have handed over the final affordable homes at Ymyl Yr Afon to Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, and to have celebrated the successful completion of this development.

“Ymyl Yr Afon is a hugely important regeneration scheme, renovating unused, brownfield land into a place which people can feel proud to call home. These properties represent part of our ongoing commitment to invest in local communities and provide much needed, high-quality homes.

“We’re thrilled at the outstanding success of this development. All of our open market sale homes have completed ahead of schedule, including the showhomes which sold out within minutes, and we hope that the residents are enjoying their lives amongst this new community.

“Ymyl Yr Afon is truly a testament of the benefits that partnership working can bring. It’s been a pleasure collaborating with Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Hafod on this exciting project.”

Karen Courts, Chief Executive at Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, said: “We are delighted with the quality of build of the new homes and pleased to have received handover of the last few properties. This site has provided much needed affordable homes for rent in the borough, which have been delivered through partnership working and funding from Welsh Government and private finance. We hope that our tenants are very happy in their new homes.”

Councillor Kevin O’Neill, Portfolio Member for Housing and Public Protection, said: “We are delighted to have worked in partnership with Lovell and Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association to deliver high quality homes to the community of Merthyr Vale.”

Cadwgan Thomas, Head of Development at Hafod, said: “We are delighted to have provided project management services on this groundbreaking mixed tenure development in partnership with Lovell, Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association and Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council which has delivered fantastic new homes to the area as well as numerous training and employment opportunities for local people.”

In June, the senior site manager at Ymyl Yr Afon, Paul Haden, was awarded his second consecutive NHBC (National House Building Council) Pride in the Job Quality Award. Paul was selected from a field of more than 10,000 UK site managers and is now amongst 450 who have won a Quality Award.

For more information on Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, visit https://www.mtha.org.uk/ and for Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, visit https://www.merthyr.gov.uk/. For Hafod, go to https://www.hafod.org.uk/.