Council’s ambitious plans of large-scale housing developments across Cardiff under spotlight

TENS of thousands of homes could be built in Cardiff over the next 13 years.

Cardiff council’s recent agreement over its preferred strategy for the future development of the city, through what is known as its Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP), could also mean the delivery of more than 32,000 jobs.

The proposed strategy to deliver more than 26,400 homes would mean a 1% growth rate for housing each year up until 2036.

Cardiff council already has an Local Development Plan (LDP) which was signed off by the local authority in 2016 and proposed to deliver more than 13,000 homes.

An LDP is used by local authorities to identify areas of land for housing and development. It also identifies areas of land for protection.

The plan predicted that the city’s population would grow to 403,689 by 2026, but Welsh Government data later predicted the population of Cardiff to grow to 372,944 by 2026.

A consultation period will take place on the RLDP before a final plan is brought before council cabinet members for consideration in June 2024.

Here is a look at what happened to the sites which the council earmarked for development in its current LDP.

Cardiff City Centre

One of the sites that the council put forward for development is called the Cardiff Central Enterprise Zone.

Forming a large chunk of the land around Cardiff Central Railway Station, Site A was primarily intended for the development of a regional transport hub.

In recent years, proposals have been put forward to enhance Cardiff Central Railway Station and build a new bus station.

The new bus station building at Central Square, which will contain 14 bus bays, offices and shops, looks like it is nearly complete.

However, a specific opening date has not yet been given.

Plans have also been unveiled for long-term projects aimed at improving transport in the city centre, like the Cardiff Bay metro line which will connect the South Wales Main line to the Cardiff Bay link.

Ferry Road, Grangetown

Cardiff council has plans to build 500 affordable homes on the site of the former Gasworks in Grangetown, as was promised in the 2016 LDP.

However, the site is currently being used to house a number of modular units on a temporary basis.

The pilot scheme to develop the 200 units was approved by the council in July 2022 and is aimed at tackling homelessness in the city.

When the scheme was announced, the council’s cabinet member for housing and communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said the 500-home development is being brought forward by the council and that the current brownfield site will be used for temporary housing while they wait for building work to commence.

North West Cardiff

As part of the council’s 2016 LDP, land in the north west of Cardiff between Pentrebane and Radyr was earmarked for 5,000 homes.

Work began on Redrow Homes’ multi-million pound Plasdwr housing development in 2017.

Homes have already been constructed on the site, which will eventually accommodate 7,000 homes, but it is going to take about 19 years for the project to be fully delivered.

Land north of junction 33 of the M4

Land to the north of junction 33 of the M4 was designated as land to be used for 2,000 homes and a park-and-ride site.

Outline planning permission was granted for 1,500 homes to be built on the site in 2017.

The development, which will include affordable housing, primary school and a park-and-ride facility, is being built in phases.

Phase one and two of the development, which will see 375 homes constructed is currently under way.

Land south of Creigiau

About 650 homes were proposed for land south of Creigiau, intended to represent an extension to the existing village, as part of the 2016 LDP.

An application for 650 homes was made to Cardiff council in 2019. However, no decision has been made on the plans and the application is still live.

The site covers 94 acres and the proposal, put forward by Castell Y Mynach Estate, includes plans for open spaces, play areas and improvement works to the existing highway network.

North East Cardiff

A development of 4,500 homes was put forward for land between Lisvane and Pontprennau in the north east of the city.

Land which is part of the north east Cardiff allocation, known as Site F, was sold for a fraction of its value in 2012, going for £1.2m when it was later estimated to be worth about £39m.

A portion of the land is already part of Redrow’s Churchlands housing development which involves 1,000 homes.

The development is being built in three phases and is expected to be completed by September 2026.

More recently, plans for 2,500 homes on land allocated as Site F took a major step forward after they were approved by Cardiff council’s planning committee on March 6.

However, the granting of full planning permission is subject to a decision by the Welsh Government on whether or not to call in the application for a final say.

Land east of Pontprennau Link Road

A housing scheme of 1,300 homes was earmarked for what is known as Site G in the LDP.

Planning permission has been granted for a 1,020-home development known as St Edeyrn’s Village.

The development, which covers an area of about 153 acres, is being built in phases.

Phases one, two, three and four – amounting to 883 homes – have been built.

Plans for a primary school, which will offer space for 210 pupils, were approved in June 2021 as part of the wider development.

Land south of St Mellons Business Park

Site H in the council’s LDP is allocated as a ‘strategic employment site’ and is the subject of plans to build a new business park and railway station.

It is hoped that the multi-million pound Cardiff Parkway Railway Station could help improve connections between east and west Cardiff and serve 800,000 passengers each year.

The project was approved by Cardiff council in April 2022, but due to the significance of the development it was called in by the Welsh Government.

A two-day planning hearing, which looked at whether the proposed development complied with the council’s LDP and its potential impact on the Rumney and Peterstone Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), took place on July 11 and July 12.

A final decision on whether or not the development can go ahead is not expected to be made until later this year according to the Welsh Government.