First look at major new housing estate

A new housing estate consisting of hundreds of homes has been completed in the east of Cardiff.

The 214 homes at Aspen Grove on the site of the former Eastern High School in Rumney are part of Cardiff Council’s Cardiff Living programme.

It has taken years for the site to be built with planning permission for the homes being given in January 2019.

Cardiff Council put out a statement in 2022 saying the site was “nearing completion” at that point.

‘Hi-tech’

Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for housing and communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “Aspen Grove is looking wonderful.

“I am very proud of the homes we are creating across the city with our partners Wates and this groundbreaking development is no different – modern, spacious homes with hi-tech features that offer residents the opportunity to make significant savings on their energy bills.”

The homes at Aspen Grove are a mix of two-, three-, four-, and five-bedroom homes. It will be made up of 65 council homes and 149 properties built for sale on the open market.

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Both council and private homes incorporate ground source heat pumps, PV panels, battery storage, electric vehicle charging points, and intelligent energy systems.

It is hoped that the construction of the homes will go some way to helping the council deal with a growing housing crisis.

Waiting list

There are currently about 8,000 people on Cardiff Council’s housing waiting list and the local authority has looked at acquiring hotels and student accommodation to meet the growing need for shelter.

Cabinet members agreed in September to go ahead with plans to complete a deal for a student accommodation building made up of 103 apartments and a hotel providing more than 150 units.

One councillor at a recent scrutiny committee meeting called the situation “extremely worrying” and Cllr Thorne said families are waiting in emergency accommodation for “far too long” before being moved into temporary housing.

Through Cardiff Living the council hopes to have created 1,700 new homes across the city with its partners by the end of the project’s 10-year life span.

Cllr Thorne added: “At a time of unprecedented demand for good-quality affordable homes we are committed to plans for more than 4,000 new homes for the city in coming years.”