New housing estate to be developed in Caldicot

A new housing estate is set to be developed on land next to Caldicot Comprehensive School by Monmouthshire Housing Association. 

The estate will be made up of 100 per cent affordable homes and the county council is hoping to secure the right to nominate tenants. 

The authority’s Labour cabinet is being advised to agree to sell the site to the housing association, which is its preferred bidder, even though using the site for market housing could earn the cash-strapped council a higher price. 

Five bids for the site were received by the council, with some plans having also proposed it be used for retail alongside housing, which the council having agreed to look at developing housing in December 2020. 

A report by the council’s estates manager, Nicholas Keyse, to go before the cabinet’s Wednesday, October 19 meeting states: “The site presents an opportunity to deliver affordable housing in Caldicot on surplus land.” 

It is proposed to develop a mix of one-bedroom flats, two and three-bedroom homes, and bungalows which will have an energy efficiency ‘A’ rating and technology including ground source heat pumps and solar panels. 

The council, which earlier this month agreed a plan for half of all new homes over the next 11 years to be affordable, with 68 per cent available for social rent, has also said using the site will help it get ahead of those plans and show how it can develop similar proposals in line with its development policy. 

The amount Monmouthshire Housing Association will have to pay for the site will be subject to how many homes can be accommodated. 

The report to the council has highlighted the housing crisis facing the county where nearly 74 per cent of all homes are currently owner occupied and one or two bedroomed homes, usually those most affordable to first time buyers, are in short supply. 

It says homelessness is “a major concern for the council” and it continues to see “a steep increase” in demand for temporary accommodation. 

The report states: “As of September 2022, there were 183 households in temporary accommodation, including 98 households in bed and breakfast accommodation. Many of these are single homeless people with support needs but there are also a number of families in temporary accommodation.” 

It also said the redevelopment for housing will “positively contribute towards the town centre generation strategy” as it is close by. 

The cabinet is due to consider the recommendation to accept the that the site is developed for 100 per cent affordable housing, confirm Monmouthshire Housing Association as the preferred bidder and delegate responsibility to the chief officer for resources, in consultation with the cabinet member for resources, to agree terms when it meets at 5pm on Wednesday, October 19 at County Hall, Usk.