WIREDGOV

The £225m Parc Derwen development, on land north east of Bridgend near Coity, is designed to create a village for the 21st century, following traditional village layouts while adopting the highest standards for housing design and the environment.

The new quarter on the 200 acre site will provide 1500 new homes, 150 of which will be affordable housing delivered by Wales & the West Housing Association.

This provision will make a major contribution towards the local authority’s housing requirements for the next seven years which was identified in its Unitary Development Plan.

Parc Derwen is a joint venture between the Welsh Assembly Government and a consortium comprising Gallagher Estates, Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey. Under the Section 106 obligation developers will be contributing more than £5m towards local facilities and amenities.

Ieuan Wyn Jones, Minister for the Economy and Transport said:”The development will create a significant number of construction jobs over a ten year period and provide a number of affordable homes.

“The contribution from developers towards community facilities is in excess of £5m and will include the provision of a new primary school and community centre representing substantial savings for the public purse.”

The Masterplan for the new community development has been approved by Bridgend County Borough Council and is designed to foster a sense of community and strong local identity where people take precedent over vehicles.

Deputy Leader of Bridgend County Borough Council and Cabinet Member responsible for Regeneration Patricia Hacking says: "This exciting new development will provide much needed additional housing, community facilities and employment for the county borough."

Parc Derwen will have a traditional village layout with an interconnected network of people friendly streets to encourage walking and cycling with open green spaces, parkland and formal and informal play areas.

The village will have a small shopping centre to meet local needs while facilities will include a community centre and a new primary school for 330 pupils with 30 nursery places.

The plans also include an extensive green buffer zone between Coity and Parc Derwen while a new road to by-pass Coity is designed to relieve pressure on the existing highways. Access to the new development will be via J36 of the M4.

A building design guide that reflects the traditional character of local architecture in South Wales has been drawn up to ensure the new village quarter will have a distinctive, regional appearance.

The plan will include a variety of differing housing types to cater for a variety of needs and the development will be monitored to ensure it conforms to the design guidelines.

Work on the circa £4million Coity by-pass marks the start of this project which has been the subject of extensive public consultation.

Development Representative, Jon Whitehead of WPM Ltd, said the development would set new standards and was designed to create a village for the 21st century.

“Parc Derwen has been carefully and sensitively designed – this will not be just another housing development. We have incorporated the best features from traditional villages and combined them with the latest best practice in design to create a sustainable new quarter that sits comfortably within the environment.”

Atisreal has been appointed to advise on the disposal of 45 acres of the site owned by the Welsh Assembly Government. The team from Atisreal's Cardiff office will be led by Mike Rees and includes Caroline Jones, Lisa Roberts and Brain McLeish.

Mike Rees said: "We are delighted to be working with the Assembly Government on the scheme. The site forms part of comprehensive development of around 1500 houses on a spectacular greenfield land in an area of high residential demand. It's convenient links to the M4 and close proximity to Cardiff and South Wales will certainly add to its popularity as a good location for homebuyers."