In the last 14 years, 946 “affordable homes” have been built in Powys - just six short of the target in the 2011 – 2026 Local Development Plan (LDP) with a year left to run.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Cabinet on 14 October, senior councillors received the LDP annual monitoring report (AMR) for 2024/2025 ahead of sending it on to the Welsh Government by the end of the month.

The document reveals that last year 350 dwellings were built in Powys, which was an increase of 11 on the previous year and 203 of these were affordable homes.

During the LDP 15-year span, which runs out at the end of March 2026, the plan had been expected to produce 4,500 new homes in the county – but with a year left this figure stands at 3,423.

Likewise, 952 affordable homes were supposed to be built, and the figure stands at 946 with a year left.

Last year 203 affordable homes were built, which is an increase of 79 on the previous year – of these 76 were extra care units for elderly people.

Council leader, Cllr Jake Berriman said: “The AMR demonstrates that the plan is largely continuing to deliver and meet the targets.

“Of the 62 monitoring indicators, 42 are green, nevertheless four are red, supporting the need for a plan review which we have in hand.

“With one year left of the LDP it’s unlikely that the dwelling requirement figure over the plan period will be achieved as the catchup rate for the current year would be 1,077, three times or thereabouts our average build rate.

“That said, overall, 99-per cent of affordable homes target has been delivered to date – this is a success story and needs to be fully acknowledged.”

“The plan has a drop-dead date on March 31, 2026, but will continue be a material planning consideration in any applications that are dealt with by the authority.

“Work on the replacement LDP was triggered back in 2022 due to an under deliver of housing being identified and since then we have progressed the call for candidate sites and the preferred strategy was consulted upon in the autumn of 2024.

“I now hope that the deposit plan will go out to statutory consultation in the spring of 2026.”

Education portfolio holder, Cllr James Gibson-Watt said: “I think we’ve done well considering the constraints placed upon the council since the adoption of the local plan.

“The obvious one is the restriction due to phosphate levels in our main rivers that brought about a moratorium on development in much of the south of the county.

“Given that, to just about meet the affordable homes target is particularly commendable.”