Nearly 4,000 new homes planned as city prepares for major expansion

Nicholas Thomas, Local Democracy Report

Nearly 4,000 new homes could be built under plans for a major expansion of one of Wales’ fastest-growing cities.

Newport City Council has identified several large development sites as it prepares the next stage of its replacement Local Development Plan (LDP), including land capable of accommodating up to 2,500 homes at Llanwern.

Other major sites could provide 750 homes north of Langstone, 360 to the south of the village and 650 south of Bettws, while a series of smaller housing developments could also be included.

The replacement LDP will determine where land can be developed for housing and employment over the next decade and will guide future planning decisions across the city.

The plan is running behind schedule and is currently expected to be adopted in January 2028.

The council estimates that 3,988 new homes will be needed to meet demand and projected population growth.

Even if the proposed sites are included in the final LDP, developers would still have to submit individual planning applications before any homes could be built.

At a scrutiny committee meeting on Monday, September 7, councillors heard the largest key site, at Llanwern, could accommodate up to 2,500 homes.

Council planning policy manager John Gibson said most of the key sites would include some form of local centre alongside the housing, while a new railway station is planned as part of the Llanwern development.

“We don’t want these spaces to be tacked on,” he said. “We need them to contribute to the existing areas as well.”

Cllr Matthew Pimm told the meeting it was difficult to develop southern areas of Newport because land was either protected or at risk of flooding.

But he warned that concentrating development elsewhere could put pressure on infrastructure if planners attempted to “cram in a lot of housing”.

“Where are these people coming from?” Cllr Ray Mogford asked of the predicted housing need.

Mr Gibson said the replacement LDP was based on patterns seen over the previous decade and was focused on “addressing local homegrown need” as well as accommodating people moving from further afield.

‘Capacity’

Cardiff was “reaching capacity” and Bristol was “becoming the most expensive local authority in the country”, he added.

Cllr Pimm said the replacement LDP would require “community buy-in” from Newport residents.

He warned there could be “a bit of animosity” if there were “people moving in from other areas and buying up the new houses because they can afford it, while the locals… are not seeing any improvement themselves”.

“People living in Newport need to see the benefits,” he added.

Mr Gibson said the replacement LDP proposed a “diverse” mix of housing intended to “reflect the need” of the city.

A public consultation on the proposals is expected to begin in October, with the replacement LDP currently forecast to be in place by January 2028.

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