All posts by Alice Edwards

Top builder starts work on £25 million new Extra Care housing schemes

Award-winning builders Anwyl Construction are building three major new extra care housing schemes across North Wales this year in contracts worth £25 million.

The construction company, now based at their own purpose-built headquarters at St David’s Park, Ewloe, are working on the new schemes for major social housing providers the Pennaf Housing Group and Grwp Cynefin in Flint, Llangefni and Porthmadog.

Extra Care housing offers an independent lifestyle option for older people who are able to live in their own one or two bedroom self-contained apartment while accessing a wide range of communal facilities together with access to 24 hour individual care and support when needed.

They are also currently completing a £3 million new headquarters for another social housing giant, Wales & West Housing whose new North Wales HQ they are building alongside their own new home at Ewloe.

Two of the new contracts, totalling over £16 million, are for the St Asaph-based Pennaf Housing Group – one in Llanefni, Anglesey, in partnership with the Isle of Anglesey County Council, and one in Flint developed in partnership with Flintshire County Council. Both developments are supported with Welsh Government funding secured in partnership with the local authority, together with private finance arranged by Pennaf.

In Gwynedd work has also started on an £7.5 million new extra-care facility at Porthmadog for Grwp Cynefin on the site of the former Hafod y Gest care home.

The old single-storey building and the adjacent Noddfa Madog day centre have been demolished before the 40-apartment Extra Care development is built to offer 24-hour care and community use.

Anwyl have also been contracted to build a £2.8 million extension to the former Memorial Hospital at Blaenau Ffestiniog to create a new Integrated Health and Social Care Centre.

Anwyl Construction Director Tom Anwyl, who heads up the company’s Contracts Division, said: “We are delighted to be engaged on this significant work for such major builds which are important not just for us but also for the building industry and the local economies across North Wales.

“It demonstrates that here in North Wales we have the skills and proven track record to deliver these projects which in themselves are varied and present different challenges.

“It means that we are able to secure jobs, work and apprenticeship opportunities across the region.

“We do also have a commitment to using local labour and local supply chains and this ensures that the value of these contracts goes to the local community.

“In any contract approximately 80 per cent of the money goes on wages and with virtually all the workforce recruited locally that means a massive boost to local economies.”

“We can have up to 100 people on a single site at a time and over 80 per cent of them live within a 40-mile radius which means that we’re boosting the local economies by keeping the spend within those communities.”

For Wales & West Housing they are also building an £6 million extra care scheme for people ranging from age 18 and above in Newtown, in Mid Wales, and a £6 million 58 plot site at Greenfield, Holywell.

 

 

Anwyl’s George Povey is the best site manager in Wales

Anwyl Homes’ George Povey, from Criccieth, has beaten stiff competition from hundreds of other site managers across the country to take the title of Best Site Manager in the All Wales National LABC Excellence Awards.

Designed to reward and recognise the outstanding contributions of site managers working on Local Area Building Control (LABC) developments across the UK, the awards are presented annually to exceptional individuals that stand above the rest and go the extra mile to deliver quality and excellence in all areas of build on site.

Evaluation is rigorous, with judges looking for a high level of compliance with building regulations, effective working relationships with LABC surveyors, outstanding craftsmanship, technical innovation, commitment to sustainability and a strong ability to solve problems and overcome difficult situations on site.

George receives the award in recognition for the work he has delivered over the last 12 months, particularly at Anwyl’s Golygfa Menai development in Y Felinheli and Tai Dyffryn development in Abersoch.  Both were not without their challenges, and the judges were particularly impressed with the way George approached the situations and ensured a high level of workmanship was maintained throughout.

Managing dirctor at Anwyl Homes’, Matthew Anwyl, commented:  “We’re delighted that George has taken first place in the whole of Wales; it is a fantastic achievement and testament to the thoughtful and methodical way that he undertakes his work and his constant commitment to only the highest standards of construction and quality on site.”

George added:  “It really is an honour to be recognised as the best in Wales.  At Anwyl, we are renowned for our thoughtful approach to building and this is something we try to deliver throughout the entire construction process.  It can be hard work, but I am fortunate to work with some of the best in the industry for whom it is a team effort.”

Building control manager at Gwynedd Council, Alwynne M Jones, added:  “We have worked with George on two residential developments within our Authority and on both occasions were impressed with his efficiency, knowledge and commitment to health and safety.  An experienced construction professional, he held in high esteem by his team and visiting surveyors and contractors and delivers technically excellent work with a focus on right first time.”

Hundreds of site managers from across Wales are eligible to take part in the awards and George now goes forward into the grand finals that are held in London later this year.  George, from Criccieth, has worked with Anwyl for four years and is married with three children.

Established for 85 years, Anwyl is a well respected construction company with two divisions; Anwyl Homes and Anwyl Construction.  Based in North Wales but operating across Wales and the North West of England, the family-run business is renowned for the care and integrity of its approach which involves thinking carefully about every aspect of each project to exceed expectations and ensure complete satisfaction for customers.

From beautiful new residential developments to award winning major mixed use commercial schemes, Anwyl is growing quickly and has ambitious plans for the future.  For further information, please visit www.anwylgroup.co.uk

 

Welsh Site Manager receives National recognition

Steve Wyman, from Kinmel Bay in Conwy, is the proud recipient of a National Home Building Council (NHBC) Pride in the Job award.

Steve is a site manager at Anwyl Homes’ stunning Sychnant Pass development in Conwy.  It is his third Pride in the Job award.

In existence for more than 35 years, the Pride in the Job scheme is dedicated to recognising the industry’s very best performers.  It is one of the highest accolades a site manager can achieve and is only presented to those who can demonstrate exceptional standards across all areas of build on site.

To win an award, site managers must score highly in all areas of the build process including quality of workmanship, technical expertise, health and safety, management and leadership.  In addition, judges are also looking for meticulous and consistent attention to detail and the special qualities and attributes that set winners apart from the rest.

Steve has worked in the construction industry for more than 20 years, starting off as a joiner for Anwyl Homes in 2001 before progressing to assistant site manager and then site manager, a role he has held for eight years.

Commenting on his accolade, Steve says: “I am thrilled to have received my third Pride in the Job award.  It is a really good achievement. These awards are not easy to achieve and lots of hard work is necessary.  This award is testimony to the dedication of the whole team here at Sychnant Pass and our commitment to delivering thoughtful homes that perfectly meet our customers’ needs.”

Mathew Anwyl, Managing Director at Anwyl Homes, added:  “Pride in the Job is a truly prestigious accolade and one that all site managers strive to achieve.  We’re very proud of Steve and the whole team at Sychnant Pass.  Steve’s expertise and knowledge as a site manager has clearly impressed the NHBC.”

Located on the outskirts of the historic walled town of Conwy, Sychnant Pass provides a selection of four and five bedroom detached homes, with prices starting from £289,950.

For more information please contact Anwyl Homes on 03300 244944 or visit www.anwylhomes.co.uk.

ITN on set with Anwyl in Sandbach

The ITN Productions team visited our Abbeyfields development in Sandbach to film for a forthcoming news and current affairs- style programme that will air during UK Construction Week in October.

A unique collaboration between ITN and the HBF, the programme will be known as ‘Foundations for the Future’ and explores the future of home building and how the HBF is working with the Government to meet its ambition of delivering more new build homes.

Taking an in-depth look at the homebuilding sector, the aim is to heighten awareness among policymakers, politicians and the general public in the UK, illustrating the challenges faced by the industry and how policy needs to evolve to meet the Government target.

The programme will cover the unique processes and problems that homebuilders have to tackle when it comes to planning, the skills gap in the market and the affordability factors that first time buyers face to get onto the property ladder.

As one of the leading developers in North Wales and the North West, Matthew Anwyl, Managing Director at Anwyl Homes, was selected for interview by ITN Productions, alongside David Gladman, from planning and development experts, Gladman Developments.

The gentlemen were interviewed at Abbeyfields; Anwyl’s latest development of four and five bedroom homes in the market town of Sandbach, East Cheshire.

Anwyl commented:  “We’re extremely passionate about the housebuilding industry and were delighted to be asked to take part in the programme.  Working in such a diverse and fast paced sector is not without its challenges but I am confident that the industry can come together to help the Government get closer to its target.”

The interview can be viewed at https://itnproductions.wistia.com/medias/2go3jtv6bk

For further information on the project, please visit http://www.hbf.co.uk/media-centre/news/view/home-builders-federation-presents-foundations-for-the-future-a-collaboration-with-itn-productions/.