A HOUSING association operating in Barry has been shortlisted for a building excellence award.

Newydd, which has 1,500 properties in the Vale has been shortlisted in the Outstanding Development Programme of the Year category at the UK Housing Awards 2016.

The association is nominated for delivering a varied and ambitious building programme which includes homes for rural communities, highly efficient housing schemes which meet exceptional energy standards, and regeneration projects in town centres which include both residential and commercial provision.

Newydd works with local authorities and the Welsh Government. Sixty-three new homes were completed this year, 76 are currently under construction and sites for more than 400 further homes are being secured for the next five years.

Recent Newydd schemes include building 23 homes in rural St Athan, which is in-keeping with traditional buildings in the area, and the redevelopment of the disused Marine hotel on Barry Island into 20 apartments for local people that needed to downsize.

Chief executive of Newydd, Paul Roberts said: “In order to deliver a successful development programme we ensure that we not only maintain close working links with our stakeholders but we also engage with communities to create bespoke developments that can transform and enhance the local area and address housing need, it’s more than just building a brand new home.”

Newydd’s community engagement activities were top priority at a housing development offering 52 new homes and 13,000 square foot of retail space at the site of the former Barry Magistrates court last year.

Six young apprentices were provided with 125 weeks of mentored support throughout their training with all six achieving industry standard qualifications through the Shared Apprenticeship Scheme ‘Y Prentis’. Two teenage ex-offenders from Construction Youth Trust also received a four week construction work placement with ongoing mentoring and support and local women were invited to taster day courses on site to learn about opportunities in the industry. Numerous schools also visited the site and completed projects on the housing development.

Newydd, one of only two housing associations in Wales to be shortlisted across all categories, has also been shortlisted in a second category at the UK Housing Awards 2016 for its approach to leadership and diversity. The UK Housing Award winners will be announced on April 26.