New era for housing delivery in Cardiff and Vale

Cardiff Council, Vale of Glamorgan Council and housing specialist Lovell Partnerships have formally established a partnership to deliver a transformative housing scheme across the region.

The first of its kind in recent years with two councils working together with a developer, the collaboration marks a significant milestone in the local authorities’ commitment to providing high-quality, affordable, and market-sale homes for communities in their areas.

Marking the formal start of the partnership, after Lovell Partnerships was appointed as preferred bidder to deliver the Cardiff and Vale Housing Partnership earlier this year, Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas and Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne were joined by Leader of Vale of Glamorgan Council, Councillor Lis Burnett and Vale Cabinet Member for Public Sector Housing and Tenant Engagement, Cllr Sandra Perkes and Regional Managing Director, James Duffett, Regional Project Director, Shane Jay andRegeneration and Partnerships Director, Mary Parsons from Lovell at County Hall, Cardiff Bay today to sign the partnership charter.

The charter sets the partnership’s vision and objectives to deliver affordable homes and regenerate communities across Cardiff and the Vale, with around 2,500 homes including around 1,600 new council homes across 25 sites.

Leader of Cardiff Council, Cllr Huw Thomas, said: “This partnership marks a new era for housing delivery in Cardiff and the Vale. By working together with our colleagues in the Vale of Glamorgan and Lovell, we are demonstrating our shared commitment to tackling housing need and building thriving, inclusive communities.

“The scale and ambition of this programme will not only provide much-needed affordable homes but also support local economies and deliver new community facilities. It’s a proud moment for Cardiff and a significant step forward in our work to ensure everyone has access to a good-quality home.”

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, Cllr Lynda Thorne said: “We are delighted to launch this innovative partnership, which will deliver thousands of new homes and transform neighbourhoods across Cardiff and the Vale.

“Our focus is on creating places where people want to live—places that are sustainable, well-connected, and offer opportunities for everyone. This scheme is about more than just bricks and mortar – it’s about investing in people, supporting wellbeing, and building a better future for our residents.”

Cllr Lis Burnett, Leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, said: “This is an exciting partnership arrangement that will see a large number of houses delivered across Cardiff and the Vale.

“They will be energy efficient and built sustainably, which aligns perfectly with the Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Project Zero Commitment to become carbon neutral by 2030.

“A large proportion will also be council homes, following on from previous house-building schemes to meet growing demand for this type of property.”

Cllr Sandra Perkes, Vale of Glamorgan Council Cabinet Member for Public Sector Housing and Tenant Engagement, said: “The Vale of Glamorgan Council recently completed work on a council-housing development on Hayeswood Road in Barry, which came after the delivery of similar projects Llys Llechwedd Jenner, Lon y Felin Wynt and Clos Holm View.

“We are committed to providing everyone with safe, modern places to live and this partnership will help us realise that aim.”

Regional Managing Director at Lovell, James Duffett, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cardiff Council and Vale of Glamorgan Council to deliver this major housing investment programme. Over the next decade, we will be working together to deliver thousands of much-needed new homes and community infrastructure, support local businesses and to create hundreds of new jobs for local people.

“This project will be the perfect example of how collaborative working can create real benefit for communities. We are looking forward to pooling together our expertise and transforming these brownfield sites into thriving, sustainable places where people can live, work and grow.”

As well as much-needed homes to help tackle ongoing pressures, the partnership will also deliver new community facilities, commercial spaces and wellbeing centres reflecting the partnership’s placemaking vision, aiming to foster inclusive, thriving neighbourhoods where people can live, work, and access essential services.

The programme includes a diverse range of developments from smaller projects such as 11 homes at the former New Penn pub site in Llanedeyrn to large-scale regeneration schemes like the Gasworks and The Mole on Barry waterfront. A balanced tenure mix approach will see Cardiff delivering 59% affordable homes and the Vale achieving 75% affordable homes across its sites.

In Cardiff, the scheme encompasses 17 sites, strategically located in communities such as Llanedeyrn, Splott, Butetown, Llanishen, St Mellons, Canton, Riverside, Grangetown, and Gabalfa.

Notable developments include the Gasworks site in Grangetown, which will deliver 500 new homes, and Atlantic Wharf in Butetown, where 400 homes are planned. Among the first locations to see construction begin will be the former New Penn pub site and land adjacent to St Teilo’s High School, both in Llanedeyrn.

In the Vale of Glamorgan, the partnership will deliver 8 sites, primarily focused in Barry, Penarth, and Llantwit Major. Key projects include the Penarth Older Persons Village, Hayeswood Road Phase 2, and the transformation of former educational sites such as Pencoedtre High School and Eagleswell Road. The Broad Street Clinic and Gladstone Road site will not only provide 80 homes but also incorporate a new medical facility and social care hub, supporting the health and wellbeing of local residents.