Four sites on city’s outskirts could be developed for thousands of homes

Nearly 4,000 homes could be built on the outskirts of Newport, under the city council’s latest plans to update its housebuilding masterplan.

The council is preparing the next stage of its replacement Local Development Plan (LDP), which sets out where and how land can be developed for homes and employment purposes.

The new version of the LDP is behind schedule, but once completed it will set out the local council’s overarching aims for the city’s growth over the next ten years.

It will also ensure the council adopts the latest national planning policies and guidance when making decisions on new developments.

The council has estimated 3,988 new homes must be built in Wales’ fastest-growing city, to keep up with demand and population forecasts.

Four key sites for new homes have been progressed – these include previously suggested sites in Langstone and Llanwern, and a newer proposal for developing land in Bettws.

The replacement LDP could also include a series of smaller housing sites dotted around Newport.

Even if the sites are included in the final LDP, developers will still need to go through the formal planning process with any proposals to build there.

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

Each of the smaller key sites would also be sizeable – including 750 homes to the north of Langstone, a further 360 to the south of the village, and 650 south of Bettws.

Council planning policy manager John Gibson said most key sites would include some sort of local centre to accompany the homes, and in the case of Llanwern, a new railway station has been planned.

“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 said concentrating development in other parts of the city risked a “squeeze” on infrastructure, if planners tried to “cram in a lot of housing”.

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

Mr Gibson said the replacement LDP was based on patterns from the previous ten years, and was focused on “addressing local homegrown need” as well as people moving greater distances.

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

Cllr Pimm said the replacement LDP would require “community buy-in” from Newport’s 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 to “reflect the need” of the city.

A public consultation on the proposals is expected to launch in October, and the new LDP is currently forecast to be in place by January 2028.