Solva Community-led Housing
One of the first community-led housing projects in Wales, Pentan have worked closely with ATEB and the Solva Community Land Trust to develop a scheme of 28, affordable homes in the village. Proposals have been carefully considered to meet the aspirational brief set by the CLT in this sensitive area of the county, falling within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the need to provide accessible, high quality, WDQR compliant, affordable housing for the village.
Designs for our new homes on this ‘exception site’ had to address both the busy street frontage to the main road – a key view on approach to the village – and the requirement for the re-provision of an existing football pitch. Careful attention to the orientation of the homes and boundary treatments ensures active frontages to the public realm and easy access to the ‘play’ spaces around the scheme, shared surface streets and the pitch.
The form and massing of the scheme bring a contemporary approach to mediating between the modest, single storey developments and 2 storey suburban housing in the context with distinctive dormer roofscapes to many of our new homes sitting comfortably in the middle. Innovative walk-up apartments designs, which appear as a row of workers cottages, and 1 bedroom house types help to meet the housing need in the area whilst ensuring a balanced community and street scene. Extensive research, the development of a narrative to support the design and attention to detail in material choices and architectural detailing has overcome a challenging planning scene with planning approval granted for the development in spring 2025.
One of the first community-led housing projects in Wales, Pentan have worked closely with ATEB and the Solva Community Land Trust to develop a scheme of 28, affordable homes in the village. Proposals have been carefully considered to meet the aspirational brief set by the CLT in this sensitive area of the county, falling within the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park and the need to provide accessible, high quality, WDQR compliant, affordable housing for the village.
Designs for our new homes on this ‘exception site’ had to address both the busy street frontage to the main road – a key view on approach to the village – and the requirement for the re-provision of an existing football pitch. Careful attention to the orientation of the homes and boundary treatments ensures active frontages to the public realm and easy access to the ‘play’ spaces around the scheme, shared surface streets and the pitch.
The form and massing of the scheme bring a contemporary approach to mediating between the modest, single storey developments and 2 storey suburban housing in the context with distinctive dormer roofscapes to many of our new homes sitting comfortably in the middle. Innovative walk-up apartments designs, which appear as a row of workers cottages, and 1 bedroom house types help to meet the housing need in the area whilst ensuring a balanced community and street scene. Extensive research, the development of a narrative to support the design and attention to detail in material choices and architectural detailing has overcome a challenging planning scene with planning approval granted for the development in spring 2025.
