£41.8m housing development approved on former cosmetics factory site

Mark Mansfield

A former cosmetics factory which has stood vacant for more than a decade is set to be transformed into 192 homes after a £41.8m redevelopment was given planning permission.

The former Revlon factory site on Ewenny Road in Maesteg will provide a mixture of social and affordable housing, shared ownership properties and homes for sale on the open market.

The brownfield site, which has been vacant for more than 12 years, is being developed by Sylfaen, a subsidiary of Bridgend-based housing association Valleys to Coast, in partnership with Tai Derw Developments Ltd, part of the Edenstone Group.

The development will include 35 homes for social rent, 19 at affordable rents, 54 shared ownership properties and 84 for open-market sale.

Work is expected to begin in October, with the first homes due to be completed by April 2027. Construction will take place in phases, with the entire development scheduled for completion in 2031.

The site, which is next to the Oakwood Estate and close to Ewenny Road railway station, has been prepared for development with £3.5m in remediation funding from Bridgend County Borough Council and the Cardiff Capital Region.

Plans also include a community garden, public open space and a children’s play area.

More than £100,000 will be contributed towards local initiatives as part of the development, while proceeds from the open-market homes will be reinvested by Valleys to Coast in its social housing programme.

The scheme is the first development being delivered by Sylfaen.

James Griffiths, managing director of Sylfaen, said: “For more than a decade, this site has stood empty, but soon it will be a vibrant, thriving neighbourhood.

“By offering a true mix of social rent, affordable ownership, and open market sale properties, we are creating opportunity and meeting a range of local housing needs.

“Our goal is to build communities where people can grow, work and belong and we look forward to working closely with key partners and local residents as we turn this long-awaited vision into reality.”

Factory heritage

An on-site “Community Cabin” will be established to allow residents to speak to the development team about the project and will also be available for local councillors to hold surgeries.

Residents are also being invited to suggest names for the development, its six new streets and eight house types.

Sylfaen said the names will reflect the industrial heritage of the former Revlon factory site.

Valleys to Coast, which was established in 2003 following the transfer of council-owned homes, manages more than 6,000 affordable properties across Bridgend and Rhondda Cynon Taf.

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