A RECENT Monmouthshire County Council Select Committee meeting for affordable housing informed members that the units at Larchfield Lane in Abergavenny have now been completed.

The 10 affordable housing units at Larchfield Grange are part of a 52 unit housing development for Monmouthshire.

Phase one of the development was completed in June 2007 when five two-bedroom houses were finished.

The second phase was completed in January 2008 and comprised of one four-bedroom house, two three-bedroom houses and two one-bed flats.

All of the units are available for social rent and will be owned and managed by Melin Homes Limited.

In the report, conducted by the strategy and policy officer, MCC claim there is a great need for affordable housing in Abergavenny.

"Monmouthshire is one of the most expensive areas to live in Wales," stated the report.

"Our 2007 Local Housing Market Assessment has shown that the average house price in Monmouthshire has risen to £220,000, which is over 9 times the average wage.

"Seven of our twenty-six wards have ratios of over 12 times the average wage, with Llantilio Crossenny, LLangybi and Llanover being 20.4, 18.1 and 17.5 respectively.

"The need to provide affordable housing in Monmouthshire is one of the Council's main priorities."

The total cost for the development was £1,301,460 which was made up of a £754,846 Social Housing Grant and a contribution from Melin Homes of £546,614.