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The new 214-home Cardiff estate has been completed

A new housing estate, built on the site of the former Eastern High School in Rumney, Cardiff, has been completed. The development, known as Aspen Grove, consists of 214 homes and is part of Cardiff Council’s ambitious Cardiff Living programme. The estate, located in the east of the city, will soon become a new community.

The development has been years in the making, with planning permission granted in January 2019. By 2022, Cardiff Council had announced that the site was “nearing completion”, and now the construction has finally concluded.

Aspen Grove comprises a mix of two, three, four, and five-bedroom homes. Of the 214 homes, 65 are council properties, while the remaining 149 have been built for sale on the open market. The homes feature modern, energy-efficient technology, including ground source heat pumps, photovoltaic (PV) panels, battery storage, electric vehicle charging points, and intelligent energy systems, allowing residents to benefit from lower energy bills.

Cardiff Council’s cabinet member for housing and communities, Councillor Lynda Thorne, expressed her satisfaction with the development, stating: “Aspen Grove is looking wonderful. I am very proud of the homes we are creating across the city with our partners, Wates, and this groundbreaking development is no different. These modern, spacious homes with hi-tech features offer residents the opportunity to make significant savings on their energy bills.”

The completion of Aspen Grove is a significant step towards addressing Cardiff’s growing housing crisis. Currently, there are approximately 8,000 people on the council’s housing waiting list, and the local authority has been exploring various options, including the acquisition of hotels and student accommodation, to meet the urgent demand for housing. In September, cabinet members approved plans to finalise deals for a student accommodation block containing 103 apartments and a hotel with over 150 units.

The housing shortage has been a matter of increasing concern. At a recent scrutiny committee meeting, one councillor described the situation as “extremely worrying”, while Councillor Thorne acknowledged that families were spending “far too long” in emergency accommodation before being moved into temporary housing.

Cardiff Living, the council’s long-term initiative, aims to deliver 1,700 new homes across the city by the end of its 10-year span. However, Cardiff Council is committed to even more significant development in the coming years, with plans for over 4,000 new homes to help meet the city’s growing demand for affordable housing.

“As demand for good-quality affordable homes reaches unprecedented levels, we remain committed to building more homes for the people of Cardiff,” Councillor Thorne added.

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