Redrow starts the ball rolling on football club redevelopment

A new development in Cardiff is set to top the league for quality housing as Redrow announces projects worth more than £140 million in the region.

The award-winning housebuilder is to redevelop Cardiff City’s Ninian Park ground when the Bluebirds move to their new stadium at Leckwith.

The 7.70 acre site at Sloper Road, on the city centre fringe, will be transformed into a high quality residential development, with a finished value of circa £40 million.

The Bluebirds are on the move to a new 30,000-seater stadium, which will be built on the site of the nearby Leckwith athletics stadium, which will be replaced, and money from the sale of Ninian Park will be used towards the cost of the new ground.

Redrow’s development will include one and two-bedroom apartments, two and three-bedroom terraced and semi-detached houses and four-bedroom townhouses and 30 per cent of the properties will be allocated for social housing.

Outline planning consent has been given for the site and work is expected to start in early 2009.

Peter Thomas, land director for Redrow Homes (South Wales) said: “Redrow has a long-standing link with Cardiff City Football Club having acted as its major sponsorship partner for three years from the 2003/04 season and we are delighted that the development at Ninian Park is now a reality.

“Cardiff is a cosmopolitan city with plenty to offer and a great place to live. This development is just a stone’s throw from the bustling city centre, which is home to the Millennium Stadium, the National Museum Cardiff and Cardiff Castle, as well as shopping malls and arcades and a wide range of restaurants, bars and cafes.”

Redrow’s development will be the final stage of a much wider redevelopment of the area around Ninian Park, which will include a new athletics stadium, a retail park, a multi-purpose House of Sport, the new Glamorgan Records office, the Field Project (a learning facility by the Cardiff charitable trust Vision 21) and a 1500-space park and ride facility, as well as the new Cardiff City stadium.

The Leader of Cardiff Council, Councillor Rodney Berman, welcomed Redrow’s commitment to the project. He said: “I’m very pleased that Redrow have signed up to what is a wide-reaching and very exciting redevelopment programme which will transform the area. Housing is a key element of the overall plans and I’m sure many Cardiff City fans will be tempted by the prospect of living on a site so close to their hearts.”

As well as the Ninian Park development, the award-winning home builder is looking to launch six further new developments in the region, creating more than 600 homes.

Among Redrow’s new ventures is the planned development of circa 300 homes at Genwen Farm in Bynea, Llanelli. Subject to planning consent, it will have a sales value of circa £55 million and there will be two, three, four and five-bedroom houses and town houses.

A development of 115 properties with a sales value of circa £20 million has just launched at Birchgrove in Swansea and a £4 million scheme is planned for Pontllanfraith, alongside Redrow’s existing Llys Fynnon development.

Proposals have been put forward for 25 two, four and five-bedroom houses at a £10 million development at Croesonen Infants School and Croesonen Farm, Abergavenny, including a local area of play and contribution towards adult recreation facilities in the town.

A development of 95 apartments, houses and town houses, with a sales value of circa £17 million, is planned for former farm land at Bolgoed Road, Pontardulais.

An application is also to be submitted soon for 67 properties, including two-bedroom apartments, coach houses, and three, four and five-bedroom houses and town houses on 5.39 acres of land adjacent to Redrow’s existing site at Penrhiw, Oakdale.

Mr Thomas said: “These exciting developments highlight Redrow’s continuing investment in South Wales, however further sites are sought in order to maintain our quality land bank, which is an essential part of our overall strategy for lasting growth and investment.”

Based at Cardiff Gate business park, Redrow Homes (South Wales) is part of award winning Redrow plc, which builds circa 5,000 new homes per annum in Wales, England and Scotland. Current schemes in South Wales include the luxury apartments and penthouses of Celestia in Cardiff Bay, a major regeneration project, Alexandra Gate, alongside the River Usk in Newport, and affordable first time buyer Debut properties in Merthyr Tydfil and North Cornelly.

For more information, visit redrow.co.uk.