News: Group to develop flagship veterans' housing in Torfaen

6 November 2009, Welsh Assembly Government

A group will be set up to look at the development of a flagship housing project for veterans on part of the Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital site, Health Minister Edwina Hart announced today [Thursday, 5 November].

The announcement follows a meeting between the Minister and leading members of Torfaen County Borough Council.

The group will consist of officials from the Assembly Government's health and housing departments and officials from the Council and Aneurin Bevan Health Board.

In addition to the development of housing for veterans and their families, the group will look at including low-cost housing in the project.

This development will not impact on the proposed Specialist and Critical Care Centre. Aneurin Bevan Health Board plans identify the Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital as the preferred site for the new hospital and in July the Minister gave her approval to this selection.

Mrs Hart – who also has responsibility for veterans in the Welsh Assembly Government - said: "Our service men and women do an outstanding job and we all owe them a debt of gratitude and duty of care.

"I take my responsibility towards veterans extremely seriously and I am pleased that we will be working with the Council and Health Board to look at how we can utilise part of the Llanfrechfa Grange Hospital site to provide accommodation for former armed services personnel and the development of low-cost housing."

Councillor Bob Wellington, Leader of Torfaen Council, added: "This is wonderful news and I am delighted that the Minister has chosen Torfaen and Llanfrechfa Grange as the location for such a worthwhile project. At this time of the year we always remember the enormous contribution and sacrifice that our servicemen and women make and the debt that we owe them. I know this is a subject that Edwina Hart feels very passionately about and we certainly share this passion and concern here in Torfaen.

"I look forward to working with our partners to move this innovative and forward thinking project forward."

The Chair of Aneurin Bevan Health Board, David Jenkins, said: "We are continuing to work on revising plans to develop the site for the Specialist and Critical Care Centre.

"The Health Board will continue to work with the Welsh Assembly Government and the County Borough Council on the plans for the site and any developments that benefit the wider community."

In April, the Deputy Minister for Housing, Jocelyn Davies, announced Assembly Government funding for the development of a directory of housing services for veterans. Cymorth Cymru is using the £15,000 funding for a database of services available to prevent homelessness.

Ms Davies said: "The Assembly Government is doing all it can to create an additional 6,500 affordable homes in this Assembly term and I am determined to ensure that Wales' most vulnerable are able to live in the good quality housing that they deserve.

"As one of our One Wales commitments, I have been working closely with Local Authorities, NHS Trusts, Welsh Health Estates and the Forestry Commission to identify potential sites that could be used for affordable housing and am delighted by the news that this work is paying off and that more land will be available for affordable housing for our veterans."