How much money and effort is being put into improving council housing stock in Ystradgynlais, a resident has asked.

At a Powys County Council (PCC) meeting on Thursday, October 9, housing chiefs will respond during the questions from members of the public section on what is being done to improve housing stock in Ystradgynlais.

Ms H Ni Seighin has asked whether older council properties in the town will be upgraded – especially as there is no expectation that developers provide affordable homes as part of housing schemes in this part of Powys.

Ms H Ni Seighin asked: “How much Welsh Government funded money has been put aside to bring our properties in Ystradgynlais up to standard, especially those properties housing the elderly and disabled?

“If no energy efficient affordable housing is going to be built, what exactly are PCC plans over the next few years to bring the existing pre-1960s bungalows up to a decent standard?

“Are they going to inject extra money into these older properties, so our homes are properly energy efficient?”

She explained that this would be done by insulating roofs and floors, triple glazing for windows, installing solar panels and expensive fossil fuel heating systems to heat pumps.

Ms H Ni Seighin said that this needs to be done to bring housing stock in Ystradgynlais up to “par” with other newer council properties.

Ms H Ni Seighin said: “Climate change has had a noticeable effect, especially on damp and mould, yet PCC seem extremely slow to act, will this change?”

Cabinet member for Housing and Deputy Council Leader Cllr Matthew Dorrance (Labour – Brecon West) said that the council received £3.73 million a year from the Welsh Government as a “major repairs allowance” to maintain housing to the Welsh Housing Quality Standards (WHQS) across all the council’s housing stock.

Cllr Dorrance said “No specific funding is made available for Ystradgynlais.

“Properties in Ystradgynlais are considered alongside all properties owned by the council when works programmes are being developed.

“The decisions take into account condition and the requirements of the WHQS.

“Investment in existing properties to improve energy efficiency takes place as part of the council’s wider investment programme in its housing portfolio.”

This is explained in the council’s “At Home in Powys” which is the council’s Housing Revenue Account (HRA) 30-year business plan.

Cllr Dorrance added: “The works to existing properties takes into account the way such properties were designed, as older properties were intended to work with heating systems that may not necessarily be used today.

“This means that the approach for each property type is bespoke.

“However, the design and construction of properties does impact on what is and is not feasible for improvement works.”

He adds that it is “not always the case” that new systems provide are better than existing tried and tested approaches.

Cllr Dorrance said: “For example, air source heat pumps can prove, in use, to be neither less consuming of energy or less costly to operate than systems using gas or oil.”

At the meeting, Ms H Ni Seighin will be allowed to ask an extra question based on the response she has received from Cllr Dorrance.