Western Mail

Brownfield regenerati­on delivers 800 new homes

ONE of the biggest brownfield affordable housing led schemes in Wales has seen its last phase of developmen­t completed.

The Mill scheme, on the site of the former Arjo Wiggins paper mill in the Ely area of Cardiff, has been over a decade in developmen­t.

The £150m project has been part funded (£75m) by Principali­ty Commercial, the commercial lending arm of Wales’ largest building society, and delivered in partnershi­p with Welsh Government, Tirion Homes, Lovell and Cadwyn Housing Associatio­n.

Half of the 800 homes were built specifical­ly for affordable rent through Tirion Homes, including 75 made available as social housing. It has also provided 325 intermedia­te (below market rent for people with low to moderate household incomes) and discounted homes for rent. Some 358 of the scheme’s properties were sold on the open market by Lovell.

Community benefit society Tirion Homes was created in 2012 by the Welsh Government and Principali­ty Building Society to deliver affordable housing across Wales using a finance model not requiring grant funding.

The last stage of developmen­t has seen 157 affordable homes built, comprising a mixture of apartments and houses, managed by Cadwyn Housing Associatio­n. All the properties have already been rented out to new tenants.

A new train station at the Mill has been identified by Transport for Wales as a priority new station, but as yet there is no committed funding, as is also the case for proposed stations at Roath Park and Gabalfa. There is though funded commitment for new South Wales Metro stations in the capital in Butetown and Crwys Road.

Richard Wales, commercial lending director of Principali­ty Building Society, said: “With the successful completion of the final phase of the Mill developmen­t, we are hugely excited to see the transforma­tion of the formerly abandoned paper mill site into a vibrant and sustainabl­e community for Cardiff.

“This milestone represents our commitment to making life’s hopes and aspiration­s possible in a way that works for all. By helping people into their own property, funding sustainabl­e and affordable housing, and supporting the creation of homes that meet the needs of future generation­s, we are contributi­ng to a brighter future for local communitie­s.”

In addition to the new homes created, infrastruc­ture work undertaken includes new roads, a viaduct and improvemen­ts to flood defences in the area. A total of five commercial units are also available to rent, which will be managed by Tirion Homes, who are in discussion­s with interested parties.

The site has also developed a riverside park which includes green spaces, children’s play area and cycle paths.

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Through our loan investment we’ve been able to provide £8m worth of funding support towards the Mill developmen­t.

“We know that good quality housing

is in high demand in the area and it’s fantastic that through our partnershi­ps we’ve been able to give the site a new lease of life and deliver for the community.”

David Ward, chief executive of Tirion Homes, said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of the final phase of the Mill developmen­t. This project is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and partners over the last 12 years who have successful­ly navigated many challenges along the way, most notably through the Covid-19 pandemic. The Mill is now a vibrant, sustainabl­e space which allows households to thrive, as well as being a part of the ongoing regenerati­on that is happening across Cardiff.

“The high demand for these quality homes underscore­s the importance of our mission to provide affordable housing. As an organisati­on, we are all about providing greater choice to those unable to, or those not seeking, to purchase their own home. This

would not be possible without the unwavering support of Principali­ty Building Society, Welsh Government, Cadwyn and Lovell. We are proud to have reached this significan­t achievemen­t and look forward to continuing our efforts to build more sustainabl­e communitie­s in Wales.”

James Duffett, regional managing director of Lovell, said: “The Mill is our flagship developmen­t in Cardiff, combining the very best of our partnershi­ps and sales expertise. We have built each home with care and attention to detail, keeping the future residents in mind every step of the way, and we are now immensely proud to have completed the final phase and provided 800 high-quality homes.

“This successful partnershi­p between ourselves, Tirion, Cadwyn, Principali­ty Building Society and Welsh Government has transforme­d the former paper mill site into a thriving community, with homes that people can be proud to own for generation­s to come.”