Maes yr Onn off grid farmhouse wins prestigious RTPI Cymru Planning Award 

The Wales Planning Award was announced at the RTPI Cymru Annual Dinner last Friday. The purpose of the Award scheme is to recognise, applaud and publicise examples of good planning practice in Wales.

The winning Maes yr Onn scheme is a collaboration between Caerphilly County Borough Council, Building Research Establishment, Scottish and Southern Energy and Constructing Excellence in Wales. The partners came together to help farmer Arthur Davies and his family realise their dream of living and farming in this remote hilltop location in Manmoel, near Blackwood. 

Built without access to mains services, the house proves that by careful design of the building to minimise energy demand, renewable energy can supply the three bedroomed property. Being off mains water, the system is optimised to make the best use of rainwater harvesting. 

This year's Planning Award winner is already being hailed as an exemplar of sustainable building excellence. The partnership provided an innovative 'off grid' solution to living a greener lifestyle based on the concept of a traditional Welsh longhouse and incorporating a range of green technologies.

The judges paid particular attention to the role of the planner in bringing the various schemes to fruition. It is notable that the winning schemes scored highly in respect of mitigation against the threat of climate change, how they addressed all aspects of sustainable development, and key issues that were overcome in implementation.

CEWales, through the work of the Wales Low Zero Carbon Hub (WLZCH), we will be monitoring demand, consumption and occupant behaviour at the farm over the next two years. Data will be analysed and reported periodically on the lessons learnt from the project so that others can benefit from these experiences as they pursue their own ‘off-grid’ or partial ‘off-grid’ aspiration. This project will help to strengthen the family’s presence at the site. CEWales are extremely proud to be part of this project and congratulates all the team and Arthur’s family on this noteworthy award. We will now follow their ‘low carbon lifestyle’ and help to share their experiences for the benefit of others in similar situations across Wales.