Residents of West Rhyl have been given a helping hand to move home, thanks to a local authority partnership.
Denbighshire County Council has teamed up with recycling social enterprise Crest Co-operative in a partnership which has been running for the past 16 months. Almost 50 households have already benefited from the service and this week, the local authority has announced that the partnership is to continue and ensure a stress-free move for approximately a further 70 households.
The partnership is part of the West Rhyl Housing Improvement Project. In 2012, Denbighshire County Council, the Welsh Government and Clwyd Alyn Housing Association teamed up to create better quality housing and open community space in an area that has featured at the top of the table in the Welsh Index of Multiple Deprivation.
Residents who previously lived on Abbey Street, Gronant Street, Aquarium Street and John Street, have already benefited from house removals.
Conwy-based Crest Co-operative operates various recycling enterprises. The co-operative works to create employment opportunities for residents across North Wales. Since March 2012 the Denbighshire County Council house removal partnership has created 77 social inclusion placements.
Nikki Jones, Housing Needs Mapping and Resettlement Co-ordinator for Denbighshire County Council, said: “The partnership between Denbighshire and Crest Cooperative was developed to ensure a smooth and stress free house move for residents directly affected by the Housing Improvement Project, and so far all is going very well.
“The scheme has created volunteering opportunities, job placements and has promoted social inclusion. In the past 16 months, 55 West Rhyl households have moved to new accommodation, and residents from 49 of those have benefited from Crest’s house removal service, ” she added.
Rod Williams, Operations Director at Crest Co-operative, said: “The partnership is going from strength to strength, Crest Co-operative are now on Denbighshire County Council’s approved contractors list to deliver services”.