New look for almost 100 council houses in Coedpoeth

Nearly 100 council houses in one local village have undergone a dramatic makeover as part on an ongoing housing improvements project.

The houses and flats in the Coedpoeth area have recently benefited from having External Wall Insulation installed on their outside walls.

The work is designed to improve the energy efficiency of non-traditional properties such as steel-framed houses.

Houses built in this way tend to lose heat very easily though their outside walls. It is hoped that the new insulation will help keep the warmth in and potentially save money on energy bills for the tenants.

Homes in Coedpoeth have also received other improvements recently, such as re-roofing, new kitchens, bathrooms and new central heating systems.

Along with improving energy efficiency, the insulation also modernises the external appearance of the property. Houses which are several decades old can look like brand new from the outside.

The insulation was complemented with an ArtBrick finish. ArtBrick is not real brick but is made to match any existing brick or stone without compromising the appearance.

The work carried out in Coedpoeth features as part of Wrexham Council’s improvement project – which aims to bring all council housing across the county borough up to the Welsh Government’s Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Two contractors RW Hough & Sons Ltd and Westdale North Ltd undertook the improvement works on almost 100 properties in the Coedpoeth area.

Welcoming the works, local member for Coedpoeth, Cllr Krista Childs, said: “The houses look fabulous now the work has been completed. They’ve been given a modern new look and this has improved the appearance of the whole street.

“Tenants here have told us they’ve already noticed the difference with the properties being easier to heat over the winter months so this will hopefully lead to lower energy bills which is great news.”

Fellow member for Coedpoeth, Cllr Michael Dixon, added: “It’s very pleasing to see the difference this work has made to these properties and how good they look now.

“A huge amount of improvement work has been carried out to our council tenants’ homes here recently, including new kitchens, bathrooms, fences, paths and other essential internal and external work.

“It’s an ambitious project with many challenges but I think it’s a very positive step in the right direction for ensuring these homes are fit for the future.”

Work on local council houses will continue over the next 12 months, with executive board members recently approving a further £50.3m investment in the project for 2018/19.

This includes a Major Repairs Allowance grant that the Welsh Government awards to local authorities to help them achieve the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

Lead Member for Housing, Cllr David Griffiths, said: “We’ve made record investments and carried out a huge amount of work across the County Borough to bring homes up to the Welsh Housing Quality Standard.

“We’ve also made a real effort to go the extra mile with the design and the quality of the improvements.

“We’ve added some extra design features to the External Wall Insulation, including the brick-slips seen on the properties in Coedpoeth and I think this has really helped to improve their appearance.

“There is still work to be carried out but I’m pleased to see we are on track to achieve the standard and we will continue to work hard with our contractors to ensure the quality of what we are doing is as high as possible.”

You can find more information on the Welsh Housing Quality Standard on the council website