Lovell will start work this summer on a £25m development set to bring 153 much-needed new homes to a former colliery site near the South Wales Valleys town of Merthyr Tydfil.
The old Merthyr Vale Colliery will be transformed with 110 two-, three- and four-bedroom homes for open market sale and 43 one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom affordable houses and apartments.
Specifically designed to meet the needs of local people, the development at the Project Riverside site (artist’s impression above) will offer high-quality homes for a range of buyers with the affordable homes set to be available through Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association.
“We are excited to have completed the purchase of this key site and look forward to starting construction of these much-needed homes at a place which has already played such a central part in the history of Merthyr Vale,” says Lovell Regional Managing Director Kate Rees. “We’re proud to be working alongside Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council and Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association to bring about this new future for the colliery site, and to be developing such a fantastic collection of homes which we’re confident will appeal to buyers at all stages of the property ladder from those buying their very first property, to families looking to upsize.”
Karen Courts, Chief Executive of Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association, comments: “The scheme will provide 43 units of affordable housing for rent and will provide a significant boost for the area, both by helping to meet local housing needs and through the creation of employment and training opportunities. We are committed to the regeneration of communities and we are delighted to be working in partnership with Lovell on this exciting development.”
Cllr Geraint Thomas, Portfolio Member for Regeneration & Public Protection at Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, says: “This development has been a long time in the making and shows the unwavering commitment of the Council over many years, to the regeneration of the middle valley region of Merthyr Tydfil. This new housing development will build upon the Housing Renewal programme and the state-of-the-art school development nearby, which the Council delivered in Aberfan and Merthyr Vale in recent years. The provision of high-quality, new homes for local people and those wishing to relocate to this area reflects the growing confidence in Merthyr Tydfil as an attractive and vibrant area to live, work and visit.”
Situated between Merthyr Vale and Aberfan, with the River Taff curving to the west of the development, the new community will feature attractive tree-lined streets with plentiful areas of open green space. The development’s first open market homes are expected to be available for sale in the autumn of 2018.
The new housing development, which will be known as Ymyl Yr Afon, is the latest stage in the reinvention of the former colliery — which closed in 1989 — through a major regeneration programme delivered by Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council, with support from the Welsh Government.
Key elements so far have included the construction of a new access road, Golwg yr Afon, which runs through the housing site and a brand-new primary school, Ynysowen Community Primary School, close by. Now the location of the former colliery, which has lain empty for a number of years, will help tackle the lack of new homes in the County Borough Council area.
The new development will enjoy excellent public transport links with Merthyr Vale railway station and bus stops both within walking distance. It is also easily reached by road with the A470 – which leads south to the M4 and Cardiff or north to the Brecon Beacons National Park – only a short distance away. Footpaths and cycle ways are also being created through the housing development.
Alongside the new homes, the development will also bring fresh benefits for the local economy and community with a significant amount of training and job opportunities set to be generated during the three-year construction programme. These will include apprenticeships and graduate opportunities and jobs for three new entrants to the construction industry. Lovell will also commemorate the history of the site and local area via a series of community projects.
