Pembrokeshire Housing is in charge of the development of 35 dwellings at land off Peregrine Close, Haverfordwest.
The project has been designed by the Lewis Partnership of Llanelli. The building contractors are W.B. Griffiths & Son Ltd of Haverfordwest and the engineer is Roger Casey Associates of Carmarthen.
The project is worth 3.2m, and the contractors will be on site for the next 18 months.
We are very excited about the project as it is the largest project of its kind in Pembrokeshire at the moment, said Philip Lewis, managing director of the Lewis Partnership.
There is a great need for social housing in the area and the site uses an area of land that was derelict.
When it is completed, it will give the area a real lift and will help meet a great need for social housing in Pembrokeshire.
Pembrokeshire Housing, which last year celebrated its 30th anniversary, is the local housing association for Pembrokeshire and owns and manages 2,150 affordable quality homes across the county.
Once complete, the 35-home development at Peregrine Close will provide a mix of flats and houses and include a specially-adapted disabled persons bungalow.
Brian Charles, the chair of Pembrokeshire Housing, said: With the shortage of affordable housing across the county, it is important for Pembrokeshire Housing to deliver additional affordable homes. This is the first of at least four developments we intend to commence this year.
By working with local contractors who, in turn, use local suppliers we can also support the local economy, which is essential in these difficult financial times.
The development is being built to Level 3 under the code for sustainable homes and the design will comply with all current design requirements of the Welsh Assembly Government.
Lewis Partnership MD Mr Lewis said he was delighted to be working in partnership with Pembrokeshire Housing and the other contractors on the project.
He added: We are also working on a project with Pembrokeshire Housing and W.B. Griffiths & Son Ltd to complete seven bungalows in Poyston Close, just off the St Davids Road in Haverfordwest
In addition, we have been working with Pembrokeshire Housing on a feasibility study for new housing sites in the county.
We are, of course, delighted to be working with our partners in bringing about attractive new housing developments which will meet a real need.
Weblinks
http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk
www.wbgriffiths.co.uk
http://www.pembs-ha.co.uk
On Facebook, search Lewis Partnership Ltd.
On Twitter, look for @Lewis_Architect
Photo above: Artistic impression of the development at Peregrine Close.

Burry Post businessman Gareth Isaac is confident the planned new Tesco store will provide a boost to independent traders in the town.
Burry Port shouldnt be worried and should get out the welcome mat, said Mr Isaac, who runs GI Carpets and Rugs in Station Road.
The Tesco plan is for a new store on the Fairground Field close to Burry Port Harbour.
The store could be open by Christmas, 2012.
The store will have 15,000 sq ft sales area and a 125-space car park that will be available for all shoppers, regardless of whether they visit the store.
Mr Isaac, 43, said: Yes, I can see why some independent traders will be worried about the arrival of Tesco.
But we have to look at the positives they will be creating 130 full and part-time jobs and that money, we hope, should be spent back in Burry Port.
The new car park will also encourage more people to visit the town.
With more footfall through the town, we need to show that we, as independent retailers, offer different sorts of services to the likes of Tesco.
Experience tells me that people look for different things in the shopping experience and the things independent retailers offer include personal service, the friendly face, the guarantee of quality. They all add up to a different experience to supermarket shopping and we need to find the balance between shopping in Tesco and shopping with independent retailers.
Ive been in business here for just over three years now and Im an optimist rather than a pessimist. Tesco coming to town will provide another reason to visit Burry Port and hopefully encourage more people to stroll through Burry Port and that cant be a bad.
One of the things I love about Burry Port is the fact that everyone knows you name or wants to know your name.
People love the personal touch and they get that from the smaller independent traders in the town.
Also, I think people are now buying into the Buy Local and Shop Local ethic.
We place great store on that as we try to source as much of our flooring products from British sources.
I was talking to a farmer friend from Mid Wales the other day and he was explaining to me how he was now getting a better price for his wool from the carpet manufacturers.
We buy carpets from that same manufacturer, so thats got to be a good thing.
Mr Isaac added: We stock names like Brintons, Cormar and Abingdon and everything from the budget end of flooring to luxury Axminsters.
As an independent flooring retailer I am always up against the big supermarket-style carpet warehouses.
But we are able to take them on because we offer a professional and friendly service which is also quick and reliable. For example, we usually provide quotes within 24 hours.
We do both residential and commercial work and I have a team of three experienced carpet fitters who provide an expert service.
Weblink -
www.gicarpetsandflooring.co.uk

Its not often that a former pupil gets to play a part in reshaping his old school, but thats what is happening at St Michaels School in Bryn, Llanelli.
St Mikes private and independent school is expanding to build a new boarding house wing.
And the architect in charge of the project is former pupil Philip Lewis, managing director of the Lewis Partnership Ltd, of Llanelli.
I have fond memories of being a pupil at St Mikes, so being able to play a significant role in its future development is a very proud moment for me, said Mr Lewis.
The team here at the Lewis Partnership has been working very closely with St Michaels to produce a design which passes that test with the leadership team at the school.
The first stage of the plan is for a 40-bed boarding house and new kitchen and dining facilities for the school.
But that could be followed by another proposal for a further 40 beds and a sports hall.
Theres also scope for the development of new car parking facilities and the addition of new sporting attractions, including an athletics track, rugby and football pitches.
Mr Daniel Sheehan, the headmaster at St Michaels School, said he was very excited by the project.
Ideally, it would be nice to see the first boarding house completed by Christmas so that it is ready for new boarders arriving in January, 2013.
Our pupil numbers vary between 400 and 450 and we currently have 40 boarders from home and abroad and they are evenly spread out between Year 7 and the Sixth Form.
The addition of new boarding house facilities will give us greater flexibility as student numbers are always changing as people move into the area for work and family commitments. We are not known as a traditional boarding school, but the new facilities will greatly improve the facilities we have to offer students.
Lewis Partnership MD Mr Lewis added: As a former pupil of St Mikes, it is great to see the school thriving and making improvements which will stand it in good stead for the future.
Weblinks
http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk
www.stmikes.co.uk/home
On Facebook, search Lewis Partnership Ltd.
On Twitter, look for @Lewis_Architect

A popular doctors surgery in the Tywi Valley is being extended for the second time with help from South Wales architects the Lewis Partnership.
Meddygfa Tywi in Nantgaredig was first established in the mid-1990s.
The new extension will provide additional facilities for patients and a new treatment room.
The builders should be on site at the end of this month.
Lewis Partnership managing director Philip Lewis said he was delighted that his firm was once again involved in extending the surgery.
He said: As architects, we were involved in the original building for Dr Anthony Davies and Dr Heather Evans. We added additional administration offices in 2002.
The 100,000 project will be completed by the end of July.
The successful Contractor is Mike Hiorns Building Contractor Ltd of Llanelli.
The Meddygfa Tywi surgery has a practice area covering a wide rural area - some 2,500 square miles in total.
The surgery is also a dispensing practice with a full range of practice and attached staff.
Normal surgeries are run on an open access system. No appointments are needed for general surgeries to see the Doctor, Practice Nurse or Health Care Assistant.
Lewis Partnership MD Mr Lewis added: The Meddygfa Tywi surgery is plainly going from strength to strength and we hope that the surgery staff and patients will enjoy the new and improved surroundings when the building work is completed.
Weblinks
http://www.lewispartnership.co.uk
www.wales.nhs.uk/meddygfatywi
On Facebook, search Lewis Partnership Ltd.
On Twitter, look for @Lewis_Architect
Photo above: The current surgery at Meddygfa Tywi.

The Lewis Partnership of architects was founded in 1995 by partners of established architectural firms based in Llanelli, Carmarthen and Bridgend. The firm has a wide knowledge of the design and project management of a wide variety of building types, and draws on the experience of chartered architects and a complimentary technical and secretarial staff. Projects are prepared and completed using high-tech Autocad computer-aided design The company has gained accreditation to the International Quality Assurance Standard BS EN ISO 9001 : 2000. During 2007, the company gained RIBA Chartered status. The company is one of Carmarthenshire Councils preferred Architectural Practices in their Building Control Partnering Scheme.

A sheltered housing project in Cardigan is reaping the rewards of a powerful new alliance of six construction companies in South West Wales.
The Bro Teifi complex now has a new private garden thanks to the working together group of construction companies.
The improvement works were carried out under the direction of HM Building Services, of Narberth, as part of new pilot project in the construction industry.
Thanks to HM Building Services and the working together group we have transformed what was a muddy and unusable piece of waste ground into an attractive area for our residents, said Louize Davies, the warden at Bro Teifi.
HM Building Services and the working together group donated their labour free of charge so that Tai Ceredigion could push ahead with their plans at Bro Teifi.
Its been a hugely rewarding experience for us, said HM Building Services proprietor Mark Thomson. All our staff got a big boost in helping to carry out the works and improve the area.
It cost us in the region of 26,000 to carry out the works, but we hope the residents at Bro Teifi enjoy the fruits of our labours for many years to come.
The Bro Teifi project was the second scheme in South West Wales to benefit from the working together partnership.
The St John Lloyd School in Llanelli has already seen major improvements to access routes into the school thanks to the partnership.
Its all part of a new initiative where our group of six local construction companies pool our knowledge and resources to help our local communities, said Mr Thomson.

The working together group of builders are helping to spread the gospel about sustainability issues in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire as part of a wider project sponsored by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) and supported by Construction Skills.
The firms taking part are - HM Building Services, of Narberth; Dyfrig Dalziel Ltd, of Kidwelly; Lloyd & Gravell Ltd, of Pontyberem; Morganstone Ltd, of Llanelli; TAD Builders Ltd, of Llanelli; and T. Richard Jones (Betws) Ltd, of Ammanford.
Were all in this together as an enterprise and the philosophy is very much helping each other when it comes to community projects like the ones in Cardigan and at St John Lloyd School, said Mr Thomson.
As a group of construction companies we are looking at a whole range of ideas to do with everything from the environment and waste recycling, to work experience, best practice in the industry and community challenges.
We are looking at a whole host of community projects in Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire, projects which are both sustainable and bring benefit to the community.
Bro Teifi warden Louize Davies said:The garden work is invaluable to our residents. The builders have turned a once uninviting, unusable space into an area where residents are really looking forward to spending time in.
We now have a lovely area to sit in. Also, keen gardeners can get their hands dirty with lots of new raised planters to grow flowers or vegetables. Our tenants can now get some privacy whilst enjoying the garden area as there is a new fence surrounding the garden separating it from a walkway behind.
There is also a water feature, a barbecue area, shaded pagoda and seating areas and a rotary washing line.
Mr Thomson added: We have been working extensively with Tai Ceredigion over the last year upgrading properties in the South of Ceredigion and completing external maintenance works to their estates, but decided we wanted to give something back to the tenants and the Bro Teifi sheltered scheme community.
When we saw the plans for the new garden, we thought that it was a very worthwhile project for the residents and would give them a better quality of life. We are really pleased that the tenants are so excited about their new garden and we hope it gives them many years of pleasure.
Llyr Edwards, Director of Property Services of Tai Ceredigion, said We all wish to thank Mark and all the team at HM Building Services for all their hard work and effort they have put into the new garden. After consultation about their preferences, the end product has exceeded many of the residents' expectations, as well as our own, and has made the area safe and secure, with many of the tenants already planning for events in the spring and summer.
Weblink
http://www.hmbuildingservices.co.uk

Hes the man who puts the Cwtsh into comedy, the resident Hug-meister of Wales.

Comedian Phil Evans loves his job and he loves it even more when love is the theme for a show.

The comedian is putting a special show together to belatedly celebrate St Dwynwens Day at the Pontardawe Arts Centre on Friday, January 27.

The show will raise cash for Follow Your Dreams a charity which makes dreams come true for children.

Its a great cause and a great occasion, said Phil, who is one of the most respected comedians on the circuit in Wales.

St Dwynwens Day is on January 25, so we may be a couple of days later celebrating it . . . but better late than never!

Ive hand-picked a team of seven other Welsh comedians for this show, so laughs are guaranteed.

Evans is a favourite warm-up comedian for TV shows on BBC, S4C and ITV.

Squeeze him for information on his favourite topic the Welsh cwtsh (hug) and he will explain why a cwtsh should always be spelt as cwtsh and not cwtch.

Press him for further information about how his comedy career started and he will tell you how he left school with 10 GCSEs . . . before the headmaster told him to put them back!

Cheeky, but never crude or offensive, Evans produces a very Welsh brand of humour.

He will be joined on stage by Gary Slaymaker, Daniel Glyn, Alan Wightman, Matt Steel, Eirlys Bellin, Geraint Evans and Ignacio Lopez

Comedy and Cwtshes is on Friday, January 27, 7pm to 9.30pm at the Pontardawe Arts Centre, Herbert Street, Pontardawe, Swansea SA8 4ED.

Follow Your Dreams is a South Wales charity which raises funds and awareness to help youngsters with learning disabilities to Follow Their Dreams, helping them to explore and develop their potential through music, art, sport and drama.

Weblinks

http://www.followyourdreams.org.uk

http://www.philevans.co.uk

https://boxoffice.npt.gov.uk/show.asp

It promises to be just what you need to get into the Christmas spirit.