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Affordable Housing Provision in Bro Ddyfi

The lack of affordable housing in the Bro Dddyfi area is a serious issue. Powys County Council states that 'affordable housing' can be referred to as housing for sale at below market value, shared ownership or social housing (i.e. council and housing association rented housing).

Bro Ddyfi Housing Needs Survey
Communities First and Powys County Council, working in partnership with Ecodyfi and Glantwymyn Community Council, and with the support of Llanbrynmair and Cadfarch Community Councils as well as Machynlleth Town Council, carried out a Housing Needs Survey in Bro Ddyfi in 2004.

The results highlight a number of issues to do with local housing provision including the problems that local people face:

  • Lack of affordable housing
  • Low incomes
  • Incomers able to buy housing (including second homes) which excludes locals
  • Lack of houses for young people and families
  • Welsh language and culture under threat
  • No new supply of affordable houses, including council houses


The report concludes that:

  • There is a substantial affordable housing problem
  • Housing mainly required by single people, many of whom want to set up an independent home/ get married or live with partner
  • Mainly require 1, 2 and 3 -bedroom housing
  • Big majority want to live locally
  • About 50% expect to buy, 50% to rent
  • Nearly all want a house or bungalow
  • Some need for housing for older and/or disabled people
  • Most can only pay £35 to £75 per week
  • Lots of interest in low cost housing for local people and in helping to bring it about
  • Lots of interest in self-build
  • Lots of support for affordable housing for local people (and some objections)


Powys County Council Housing Strategy
Powys County Council's Housing Strategy Document (2004) emphasises the necessity of working in partnerships to achieve the desired outcomes. The main objective is: "To enable the provision and maintenance of good quality, secure, appropriate and affordable housing in order to meet the needs and aspirations of the people of Powys, having regard to the need to maintain and support sustainable communities and the Welsh language and culture."

In order to achieve this the Council will seek to:

  • Ensure, by working closely with local communities and key partner organisations, that good quality, affordable housing is provided where it is needed.
  • Accurately identify housing needs across Powys and to put in place measures to ensure that this need can be met.


On new house building sites for 5 or more houses the Council will seek to negotiate the inclusion of a proportion of affordable housing. Negotiations with developers take place on a case-by-case basis. The Council will seek to negotiate a proportion of 30-35% affordable housing on new development sites. Small housing sites outside and adjacent to existing villages can be released for the provision of affordable housing as an exception to normal policies of restraint (Rural Exceptions Policy).

In order to clarify certain aspects of planning, particularly with respect to affordable housing, the Council has published a leaflet with supplementary planning guidance.

The full Strategy Document can be downloaded from the Powys County Council website.


The Welsh Assembly Government Perspective
The Welsh Assembly Government has made a commitment to provide an additional 6,500 new affordable homes. A range of publications concerning the WAG strategy for housing can be found at
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/housing/?lang=en

WAG have produced an Affordable Housing Toolkit which is available from:
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/housingandcommunity/housing/publications/affordablehousingtoolkit?lang=en


Community Schemes
Housing Associations and Council Housing are unable to fulfil the demand for affordable housing.

Public subsidies are diminishing and there is a growing need for other ways of providing affordable housing with innovative financial solutions.

There is a range of potential options for delivering housing without public funds.

One of the most important aspects of community affordable housing schemes is the necessity of involving the local community in discussions and plans at an early stage.

More information: go to sections on Community Land Trusts, and the Guide to Developing Affordable Housing Schemes.

For information about local a affordable housing scheme go to the page on Heulfryn Community Project.

Other Local DevelopmentsThere are two new local affordable housing developments, one at Derwenlas and one at Llanwrin. There are three other schemes that at the time of writing are in varying stages of development: Machynlleth DSO Yard, Dolfach and Cemmaes. Contact Mid Wales Housing Association for more information.

derwenlashahouses_280New social housing at Derwenlas, under construction in 2008.