A house-building company with an innovative business model is ready to kick-start its operation with more than 120 new homes for sale in North Wales and Cheshire.
Housing association Cartrefi Conwy has joined forces with Brenig Developments Ltd to form a joint venture named Calon Homes, to create a wholly commercial operation in a partnership that’s believed to be the first of its kind in Wales.
Cartrefi Conwy will be using its 50 per cent share of the profits to plough into affordable housing whilst using Brenig’s expertise to “develop much needed quality homes for sale”.
The ground-breaking joint venture has the blessing of the Welsh Government and has already secured options on two plots of land to build 122 new homes and is in discussions with various funders, including the Development Bank of Wales.
The company’s first small-scale development of 11 houses will be in Middlewich in Cheshire where construction is due to get underway later this year.
The profits will be used to help fund the new Calon Homes’ second in the county of Conwy where, subject to planning consent, Calon Homes has also secured the option to build 111 new homes at an eleven-acre site that’s already been earmarked for housing.
Calon Homes is a limited liability partnership and is based at the recently-opened Cartrefi Conwy Business Park in Mochdre where Brenig Construction and Creating Enterprise, a subsidiary of Cartrefi Conwy, are headquartered.
The board includes Brenig Construction’s joint managing directors Howard Vaughan and Mark Parry along with Cartrefi Conwy’s Group Chief Executive, Andrew Bowden, and Adrian Johnson, managing director of the housing association’s commercial arm.
The chairman is Douglas Leech who has 40 years’ experience as a successful property developer.
Andrew Bowden said: “As a group, Cartrefi Conwy are looking to diversify to generate new income streams to further our affordable housing programme.
“Until now, we’ve always been reliant on just rental income but, with the advent of austerity and things like Universal Credit, we had to think outside the box.
“Calon Homes will be building houses for market sale and we will be using our share of the profit for the benefit of local people to create more affordable housing.
“Although we are experienced in development, we don’t have expertise in building houses on a commercial basis.
“Brenig Construction were the perfect fit as partners because we have already formed a positive relationship through various contracts over the last four years.
“They are a local SME from the heart of Conwy who employ a lot of local labour, they use a local supply chain and share the same vision and values as Creating Enterprise and Cartrefi Conwy.”
Heading up the operational side is Bryn Roberts, with 25 years’ experience in residential development with Redrow Homes and Anwyl Construction.
He said: “It’s very exciting and we feel there’s huge potential for future growth across North Wales and beyond.
“A key element for us will be to ensure a lot of local labour is used to build these homes and there will be apprenticeships for those wanting to enter the construction industry.
“We want to build very high quality, energy efficient and innovative homes, embracing smart technology so we can ensure these houses are fit for purpose, not just for today but for 50 years’ time as well.
“Our developments will be about a lot more than just bricks and mortar housing estates because Calon Homes will have a sense of community at the heart of everything we do.”
