Work begins on £35.6m scheme to build 143 homes at former council site

The former County Hall site in Cwmbran is being redeveloped by Lovell for housing provider Codi Group, with financial backing from the Welsh Government.

The scheme will include 35 homes for open market sale and 50 for shared ownership.

A further 58 affordable homes will comprise 36 apartments, 14 homes for social rent and eight for intermediate rent.

Construction is due to be completed in early 2029. Lovell says the project will provide employment opportunities for local people, including apprenticeships and work placements.

Solar panels and air source heat pumps will be installed on the social rented homes, while a large bat house already on the site will be renovated to support wildlife.

The development is set within a woodland area, with two schools and a hospital nearby.

Codi plans to open a four-bedroom Heywood showhome in spring 2027, when the first open market homes will be released for sale.

Representatives from Lovell, Codi and Torfaen County Borough Council marked the start of work at a ground-breaking event.

Anthony Vagges, regional managing director at Lovell, described it as a “huge milestone” in bringing the redundant site back into use.

He said: “For over 40 years we’ve worked closely with our partners in Wales to deliver not just new homes, but thriving new communities where people can proudly belong.”

Rhys Parry, Codi’s director of development for the east, said: “Seeing work begin on this site is a really proud moment for us.”

Design

Mr Parry said the homes had been designed to suit their surroundings.

“Our Codi house types have been designed to combine high-quality materials, energy-efficient design and distinctive architectural character, creating homes that feel rooted in the local area,” he said.

“Combined with the site’s natural green spaces, they will help create an attractive and welcoming neighbourhood that people will be proud to call home.”

He also thanked Torfaen council and the Welsh Government for their support in bringing the development forward.

Codi was formed through the merger of Linc Cymru and Pobl in 2024. The not-for-profit group manages close to 25,000 homes and plans to deliver more than 4,500 new homes over the next five years.

It also provides care and support services to almost 17,000 people.

Lovell is part of Morgan Sindall Group and works on housing construction, regeneration and improvements to existing homes across Wales, England and Scotland.