More new council homes will be on their way to Cardiff if plans to boost the city’s exciting housing development programme are approved next week.

Cabinet is recommended to agree a set of proposals that would pave the way for more much-needed affordable housing to be built, helping to address very high demand and pressures on the city’s housing waiting list.

The proposals will see the Council working closely with its housing association partners, in line with a Welsh Government recommendation for greater collaboration to maximise the delivery of new social housing.

At its next meeting, Cabinet will consider:

Entering into a legal agreement with Linc Housing Association to buy the former Michaleston Pub site off Drope Road, Ely;
Approving entering into a Collaboration Agreement with Hafod Housing Association to jointly develop the former Lansdowne Hospital site and adjoining council-owned land in Canton to deliver 106 new affordable homes
Providing strategic support to Linc Housing Association with regards to the allocation of Social Housing Grant for the delivery of new social housing units with Willis Construction Ltd on the former Morrisons Local site in Pentwyn.

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne, said: “Welsh Government is encouraging morecollaboration between local authorities and housing associations where feasible in order to share resources and maximise the delivery of affordable homes and this is exactly what we are aiming to do in these latest proposals.

“Our ambitious target for 2,000 new council homes has been set in direct response to the increasing demand we face for affordable housing in our city and while we really are exploring all opportunities we can to deliver more good quality, sustainable housing, pressures remain very high as more people join the waiting list for social housing.

“The good news is we’re currently on target for 1,000 new homes by 2022 and our programme is capable of delivering double that amount in the longer term, via a number of delivery methods including the set of proposals we’re considering next week.”

Delivery routes for the council’s housing development programme include developer-led Package Deals, the council’s own additional build programme, buying property from the open market and the continuation of the Cardiff Living scheme, which is creating 1,500 new homes – 600 of which are council homes, with Wates Residential.

The proposal to acquire the former Michaelston pub site links directly with the council’s existingCardiff Living programmeproposals for the adjoining site of the former Michaelston Community College, where there are plans foraffordable older person housing and a range of facilities for the wider community.

Buying the former pub site from Linc will enable the land to beincluded in the Council’s wider masterplan for the area, which is focused on delivering a mix of affordable older person and family housing, and for plans to be reviewed to enable a more holistic development proposal to be brought forward for consultation with the wider community.

Part of an agreement in principle the council achieved with Linc with regards this acquisition is to offer a package deal previously being considered by the authority for 28 new flats on the former Morrisons Local site in Pentwyn with Willis Construction to Linc instead, and to provide strategic support for the scheme.

The collaboration proposal withHafod Housing Association to jointly develop land on Sanatorium Road in Canton would mean 106 new homes for the area in a 100 per cent social housing scheme.Hafod acquired the former Lansdown Hospital site in 2019 while the council appropriated an area of land between Ysgol Treganna and the former hospital site in 2020.

Thirty-eight (40 per cent) of the new homes would be council-owned, comprising 12 three-bedroom townhouses, three four-bedroom townhouses to help meet high demand in the city for larger family homes, and 23 one and two-bedroom flats. The remaining homes would be managed by Hafod.

Cllr Thorne added: “Our housing association partners have an important role to play in helping to increase the amount of social housing available in the city so I’m really pleased to see us working so closely together to deliver good quality, new homes.”

The recommendations will be considered by Cabinet on Thursday, July 15.