Whiteheads, Newport

Project Information

Client: Tirion Homes, Lovell Homes and BAM Construction, Welsh Government and Newport City Council

Partners: Powell Dobson Architects, Cambria Consulting, McCanns, Blake Morgan

Location: Newport, South Wales

Service: Planning Consultancy and Landscape Architecture

Redevelopment of a former Steelworks site into mixed use neighbourhood.

The Challenge

The site was formerly the location of the Whiteheads Steelwork and was allocated for redevelopment as a key strategic regeneration site to meet the housing needs of the city’s growing population. The former site use and a series of adjacent constraints relating to highways, industrial operations, existing residential properties, flood risk and rail infrastructure meant the site was very constrained and challenging to bring forward, requiring a robust planning approach to manage constraints and unlock the opportunities to create a great place for people to live in.

Our Role

We coordinated the planning process to aid the redevelopment of the site from the outset. This included securing outline planning permission for the delivery of 529 new homes, a neighbourhood centre, a primary school and eco-park for the new residents and residents of the existing area. In securing outline planning permission we were able to navigate complex planning considerations relating to site remediation, highways and access, noise and odour and drainage and flood risk. As part of the outline permission we also agreed fair planning contributions to help investment into the local leisure and education offer and secure key upgrades to the highway network and active travel provision. Following the grant of planning permission we have secured reserved matters approval for the new homes and school, and in doing so have worked with the design team and Planning Authority to create a characterful residential neighbourhood of distinctive architecture and high-quality landscape spaces with SuDS that have helped to instil climate resilience and create opportunities for the community to come together. The delivery of the site is now well underway with homes occupied and the school due to go into beneficial use in the latter part of 2024.

The Outcome

Transformation of a brownfield former steelworks site into a modern mixed-use community with a distinctive sense of place unique to the local area. 50% of the new homes delivered on the site are affordable making a significant contribution to local housing need.

Images Courtesy of Powell Dobson Architects / Lovell Homes