A turf cutting ceremony marks the start of the construction of 10 affordable houses on the site of a former Gwynedd school.

The project at Ysgol Babanod Coed Mawr in Bangor is part of Tŷ Gwynedd, Gwynedd Council’s house building scheme to address the county's housing shortage and provide high quality, affordable homes.

Ten houses will be built, six with three bedrooms and four with two, to meet the needs of local people, especially those who find it difficult to buy or rent a home but may not qualify for social housing.

All Tŷ Gwynedd homes will be affordable, adaptable, sustainable and energy-efficient.

At the ceremony were representatives from the council, OBR Construction, WM Design & Architecture, Councillors Craig ab Iago and Gareth A Roberts, and Cllr Gareth Parry, Mayor of Bangor City.

Construction is expected to complete around spring 2026. To see the eligibility criteria, visit the Tai Teg website: https://taiteg.org.uk/en/

Cllr Craig ab Iago, Cabinet Member for Housing and Property, said: “I would like to thank everyone who joined us at the event to celebrate this significant milestone. This project is a crucial part of my vision as a Cabinet Member to ensure that we provide the basic human right of affordable and suitable homes for the residents of Gwynedd. I’m extremely pleased to see the work on these houses getting started to provide houses for local people.

"The need for affordable housing is growing rapidly across the country, and this demand will only intensify as the cost-of-living crisis affects more people. I encourage anyone who is interested in what this scheme has to offer to visit the Tai Teg website to see if they are eligible to register with Tai Teg for an affordable house."

For more information go to the Ty Gwynedd Project page on Gwynedd Council’s website.