The funding announcement coincides with Sero Homes commencing its pre-application consultation for the scheme – a new community of 35 carbon neutral homes set in a wildlife-friendly landscape, situated in Rhydyfro, Pontardawe.

The Innovative Housing Programme is a £90m, three-year programme to support new ways of designing and delivering housing to increase housing supply, meet carbon reduction targets, tackle fuel poverty and address demographic change.

Andy Sutton, director of design and innovation at Sero Homes said: “Parc Hadau is a unique and highly innovative project that has the potential to challenge the homebuilding industry as we know it.

“We’re pleased to see these ambitions recognised through the securing of Innovative Housing Programme funding, and look forward to demonstrating that high quality, beautifully designed zero carbon homes can be delivered within the private sector.

“We also we want to demonstrate to consumers that they should start demanding more from their homes – and that high quality, professionally managed, sustainable homes should become the norm within the private rental market in the future.”

Speaking about the latest round of Innovative Housing Programme funding, Julie James said: “We face serious challenges in Wales, in terms of responding to the climate emergency and also delivering more affordable housing. This programme offers us the chance to develop homes with low fuel bills to tackle fuel poverty, homes designed and built with a low carbon impact in mind, and homes that can evolve with their households.

“We have an opportunity to deliver affordable, high-quality homes that meet all these challenges, which reduce the impact of housebuilding on the environment, and that can be built at scale to meet the needs of our communities.

“Good quality, beautiful houses are so important to people’s lives. I look forward to seeing these projects develop and to seeing the finished builds become homes.”

Sero Homes’ consultation on Parc Hadau is the second phase of community engagement Sero Homes has undertaken on it plans, having held a public exhibition earlier this year.  Sero Homes is now undertaking a statutory 28-day consultation on the draft planning application, which will include a public drop in event at Rhydyfro Primary School as well as an afternoon working with year six pupils at the school.  A planning application to Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council will be submitted later this Autumn.

All the homes will be professionally managed by Sero Homes to provide hassle-free living with long term tenancies and index linked rents to keep them at a fair price.

Full details of the plans and public consultation can be found on the project webpage: www.parc-hadau.wales and further details about Sero Homes is available at www.serohomes.com.