A DOLGELLAU councillor believes that more bungalows need to be built across Gwynedd to help give older people a better quality of life.

Cllr Linda Morgan, who represents Dolgellau South on Gwynedd Council, wants to see more bungalows built across the county.

She said: “I feel that there is a need for bungalows, a lot of people need them.

“They are great for older people. The open plan helps with mobility and there is good access to garden space.

“I also think that those who have dementia could live longer in their own homes if they were in bungalows. People with special needs also benefit as beds and equipment can be moved in and around a bungalow easily.

“I strongly believe that people with dementia need the tender loving care of family and more could be done to help if they are in a bungalow, it would be easier to take people out and to move them around their own home.

“I believe there is a lack of bungalows across Gwynedd. We are in need of a steady supply of them for years to come.

“Living in a bungalow, where there is easier access to get around, would give a lot of people a better quality of life.

“I also believe more bungalows would relieve a strain on the NHS.”

Cllr Morgan believes this also links into the need for social housing across Gwynedd, and she added: “A short term solution could be to swap out people who are in a house with extra rooms and to move a person living on their own in one of these houses into a bungalow.

“This would then free up the larger house for a bigger family who would need it more.

“In Dolgellau, there are some areas of green space near houses already built that could be used to build the bungalows that are needed.”

Cllr Morgan said she will contact housing associations in North Wales, such as Adra, about this.

An Adra spokesperson said: “At Adra, our customers and communities are at the heart of everything we do.

“When we build new affordable homes to meet the local housing need, we assess the specific need for that area. For example, we’re currently building 28 comfortable and suitable flats for people aged 55 and over in Pwllheli and have a proposed scheme of 39 flats in Bangor to promote independent living for older people and in turn tackle loneliness and provide a sense of community living for the residents.

“We are also currently building three new bungalows on our development in Bala, and more across Gwynedd.

“We must stress that we consider the needs of our customers and tenants and of the area before building and providing homes for those who need them.”