Ty Darran Later Living Scheme
Framework: SCAPE National Construction Framework
Client: Caerphilly Homes (Caerphilly County Borough Council)
Location: Caerphilly, Wales
Value: £17m
Completion: February 2025
"Ty Darran has become a real flagship later-living development in Risca. It stands as a true example of what collaboration can accomplish, working seamlessly as one integrated team from concept to completion, overcoming complex challenges and setting a new benchmark for modern construction. We hope Ty Darran becomes more than just a place to live; we hope it becomes a community, filled with comfort, friendship and independence for many years to come."
Ian Jones
Director, Willmott Dixon
Establishing a blueprint for council-developed later living accommodation, the Ty Darran Later Living Scheme has created 45 high-quality apartments for residents aged 60 and over in Caerphilly.
On the site of a former care home in Risca, Willmott Dixon has delivered the scheme for Caerphilly Homes through the SCAPE National Construction Framework. Caerphilly Homes is the wholly council-owned housebuilder for Caerphilly County Borough Council, with a remit to deliver high-quality affordable homes across the borough. Ty Darran is the most ambitious scheme it has commissioned to date.
Completed in February 2025, Ty Darran provides 3,734m² of modern, independent later-living space designed to support residents' independence, wellbeing and sense of belonging.
Ty Darran provides 45 one-bedroom apartments for residents aged 60 and over within a single development. Designed to support how later-living residents want to live, comfort, independence and connection were at the heart of every project decision.
The scheme combines private apartments with a generous mix of indoor and outdoor communal spaces, allowing residents to enjoy companionship or privacy as they choose. These include a landscaped central garden with planting, quiet seating areas and welcoming gathering spaces for social interaction. Accessibility, safety and ease of daily living are embedded throughout the development.
From the earliest design stages, the Caerphilly Homes development team, Willmott Dixon’s site team and specialist partner Caledan worked as a single team rather than three separate parties around a contract.
Decisions about design, materials, sequencing and resident experience were taken jointly. Challenges were surfaced early and resolved early. Every choice was tested against the same question: what will deliver the best outcome for the residents who will live here?
The building has been designed to deliver high levels of energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions and keeping residents' fuel bills as low as possible across the building's full life.
The communal garden and shared indoor spaces are designed to encourage daily, easy interaction between neighbours and the small moments of community life that can have a measurable impact on health and wellbeing in older age.
The development represents long-term investment in people and place, giving older residents of Risca a high-quality home in their own community and showing what is possible when a council and contractor work as one team from day one.
Making a difference in the local community
As part of the project's commitment to its community, a range of social value initiatives helped inspire and support local residents. These included hosting children from a local primary school on site, providing work experience opportunities for Connie, a Year 10 pupil, and supporting Uliana, a Ukrainian refugee seeking opportunities in the UK construction industry.
Risca Primary School
Located less than a mile from Risca Primary School, the site became a living classroom during construction. Aligning with Year 1 and 2's spring-term topic of 'Building', the project welcomed 120 children aged between five and seven over the course of a week to learn about machinery, PPE, construction and demolition, and explore an active construction site.
Willmott Dixon also engaged pupils from Years 3 to 6 around their term topic of sustainability. Following discussions about the green features of Ty Darran, pupils took part in a STEM challenge, constructing four-metre-by-four-metre structures while developing teamwork and communication skills.
At a time when STEM education continues to face funding and skills challenges across the UK, the project provided meaningful learning opportunities at no cost to the school, helping to inspire the next generation of STEM talent in Wales.
Uliana’s story
After arriving in Caerphilly from Ukraine, Uliana was looking for a new start, seeking a work experience placement that could open doors in the UK construction industry. Already studying for a Level 3 HNC in Construction Management at Cardiff and Vale College, she began a nine-day placement with Willmott Dixon.
Across three areas of the business, Design Management, Social Value, and Operations, Uliana was immersed in the practical, people-driven and technical sides of construction. Her final five days were spent on the Ty Darran site, shadowing the site management team, taking part in health and safety checks, inductions, and experiencing the fast-paced coordination of daily operations on a live site.
Uliana’s positive attitude, professionalism and clear potential led to a job interview for an Information/Document Controller role at Willmott Dixon, and she is now officially part of the team. Her story is a powerful reminder of the impact of opportunity and what the construction industry can achieve when focused on people, potential and purpose.
Connie's story
After attending a ‘Careers in Construction’ workshop delivered by Willmott Dixon to Year 10 pupils at Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhymni (Rhymney Valley Comprehensive School), Connie reached out to Willmott Dixon expressing an interest in a design management role. This resulted in a one-week work placement at the Ty Darran site that included an induction with the Building Manager, a detailed orientation tour, shadowing the Design Manager and Assistant Design Manager and attending customer and internal meetings.
Connie enjoyed the experience so much that she hopes to join the Willmott Dixon Management Trainee programme after finishing her A-levels and remains in contact with the team to support her along the way. Her story illustrates the power of early engagement and practical exposure in inspiring the next generation of construction professionals.
Social value outcomes
This project has been submitted by Willmott Dixon as part of the collaborative Social Value in Construction Benchmarking Report. This report captures the latest insights into the regional and national trends in social value delivery; learn more here.
45
high-quality apartments for residents aged 60 and over
3,734m²
of modern, independent later-living space
120 pupils
engaged
In collaboration with:
Meet the lead:
Kevin Hutchinson
Framework Manager
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