CAERPHILLY County Borough Council is to pay out more than one million pounds to repair homes in Rhymney.
Council leader Sean Morgan said residents on Bryn Carno had been “blighted” by water damage to the walls of their homes.
The re-insulation project is estimated to cost £3,098,800 – a third of which will come from the council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) and the remainder from the Welsh Government.
Initially the council was seeking £2.4 million in funding from the Welsh Government, but only £1.9 million has been granted.
What happened to the homes on Bryn Carno?
In 2012, private and council-owned houses in Bryn Carno were identified as suitable for energy saving measures via the Arbed 1 – a Welsh Government scheme. But between 2016 and 2018, home owners and tenants began to report issues of damp and water ingress.
The scheme was run by Caerphilly-based housing association United Welsh on behalf of the Welsh Government and in agreement with the council.
The external walls of the 86 homes – 36 council properties and 50 privately owned homes – were insulated with Rockwool, with the aim of saving energy.
An investigation into the issues by the Welsh Government revealed that the scheme had “inherent design weaknesses” and “aspects of poor workmanship”.
It concluded that a replacement scheme to reinsulate the properties should take place. At a council cabinet meeting in September 2022, it was agreed that the replacement scheme would be undertaken by the council’s Caerphilly Homes team.
The report presented to the cabinet stated: “Remediation works are essential to protect the health and wellbeing of residents and to secure the future integrity of the housing stock.”
Consent will need to be sought from the private owners before work can commence.
Cabinet member for finance and performance, Cllr Eluned Stenner, said: “It really shows the authority’s commitment to supporting our tenants in a situation they have found themselves in through no fault of their own. I’m sure they will be relieved.”
Cllr Morgan, who represents the Nelson ward, criticised the timeframe for the work, which is expected to be completed in 2025.
The council’s head of housing, Nick Taylor-Williams, has previously said the replacement scheme will have to take place during the warmer months.
