Swansea Council has reached a significant agreement with Wales' largest housebuilder to acquire 141 homes at its development between Gorseinon and Penllergaer.
This marks the first time the council has taken direct ownership of the affordable housing element of a Section 106 agreement, which it says is “a major milestone” in its commitment to delivering more affordable homes.
Persimmon Homes West Wales marked the deal with Cllrs Andrea Harrington and Andrew Williams – the Deputy Leader of the Council with responsibility for housing and the Cabinet Member for Development, respectively – at Llys Pentre, the latest outlet at the site, seeing the next batch of council homes under construction and the newly opened showhome.
Under the terms of the agreement, 71 of the homes will be made available through a low-cost home ownership scheme, enabling first-time buyers to purchase properties below market value, with the remaining amount held as a charge by a third party. The remaining 70 homes will be retained as council housing.
The development – with Llys Pentre accessible from Penllergaer and Cwrt y Brenin accessed from Gorseinon – is set to deliver up to 750 new zero-carbon ready homes once completed. In addition to the new housing, the scheme includes a primary school, park, commercial spaces, and open spaces.
The vision for the site also includes a run wild trim trail around the perimeter of the site, which will be circa 5km in length, a community orchard, two BMX pump tracks, and a number of equipped play areas throughout the development.
All homes currently being built on this first phase will be fitted with solar panels, and will be built to EPC rating A. Future phases will be built to ‘Future Home' standards, and will be fully electric, running off air source heat pumps and photo-voltaic cells.
The accredited five-star housebuilder currently has two, three, and four-bed homes available to purchase on the open market at both Cwrt y Brenin and Llys Pentre.
Cllr Andrea Harrington, Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Transformation, said:
“This is a landmark moment for Swansea Council in terms of the continued development of new and affordable homes across Swansea. Working with a prestigious housing developer such as Persimmon has enabled us to secure a large number of homes which we can offer to residents for purchase at a reduced price.
“Another important element of this development is the development of council-owned homes which will be available to families and individuals on our housing waiting list.
Cllr Andrew Williams, Cabinet Member for Development, added:
“The Council recognises the importance of working in partnership with housing developers to ensure that we can increase the level of housing in the city and meet the demands of residents.
“This is a significant increase, not only of the availability of affordable housing in Swansea, but also the increase in the Council's own housing stock.”
Stuart Phillips, Managing Director of Persimmon Homes West Wales, said:
“We are delighted to be working in partnership with Swansea Council on this significant agreement, which will provide much-needed affordable housing for local people.
“This collaboration highlights our shared commitment to delivering high-quality homes and ensuring that the benefits of this development are felt across the community.
“We look forward to continuing our strong relationship with the Council to help meet the growing demand for housing in Swansea and the wider area.”
