A grant from second home council tax premiums will be used to build 18 homes in Solva in a project the “first of its type in Wales.”

The Solva Community Land Trust (SCLT) has been developing plans for affordable housing in the coastal village for some time, with partnerships with the council, PLANED and Ateb established.

On Monday (October 5) Pembrokeshire County Council cabinet agreed that a grant for the “entire costs if the proposed development “will be paid to Ateb – with the full details yet to be agreed.

The agreement of costs and the terms of the final grant award will be delegated to the director for resources Jon Haswell, in consultation with the cabinet member for finance Cllr Bob Kilmister.

The final grant cannot be awarded without Welsh Government consent, notes the cabinet report, with the minister for housing and local government already contacted.

Clr. Kilmister said on Monday: “This project is ground breaking and the first of its type in Wales. It’s made it slightly more complicated because there is no road map available and we have had to create on.”

He added that the community fully backed the plan for “much needed” affordable housing in the area.

This was echoed by cabinet member for housing Clr. Michelle Bateman, who said it was exactly the type of partnership work the authority wanted to be involved in and it added “another arm” to housing provision.

Senior councillors also approved the long lease of land owned by the authority for the development site.

The plans include reinstating the football pitch which is on the earmarked land at Bro Dawel, adjacent to Maes y Môr, and a community facility.

The 18 homes will be designed by Ateb in collaboration with SCLT, as will the policy for allocating housing, and the development will “seek to ensure the scale and design og the housing is acceptable to the community.”