Work is now complete on an ambitious regeneration project for the one of the most deprived communities in Wales
LOUDOUN SQUARE in the Butetown area of Cardiff was first developed in the 1960s. The local community had witnessed the redevelopment of nearby Cardiff Bay and there was a great sense they had been left behind.
The site consisted of derelict and boarded-up housing, a block of dilapidated shops and a run down health centre providing only rudimentary services. Community facilities were virtually non-existent and the general physical environment was very poor.
Work started in June 2010 following four years of community consultation and planning including over 20 events, in excess of 125 community meetings and several participatory art and film projects.
Today Loudoun Square is very different: 61 affordable homes, built to Sustainable Homes Code 4 and 5, sit alongside a parade of 11 new retail units, a health centre, a culture and media centre, three social enterprise units, a community hub housing council information services and a landscaped public square.
Over 2,000 people were involved in the construction and seven apprenticeships were created for local people through a targeted training and recruitment agenda,.
Local firms were also recruited for the supply chain: 69 out of 87 packages were awarded to Welsh companies, 41 had Cardiff postcodes and 88 per cent of the project value was awarded to firms in Cardiff, with 93.5 per cent let to Welsh companies.
The project is a collaboration between Cardiff Community Housing Association (CCHA), Cardiff Council and the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board and was developed by Leadbitter, a Bouygues UK company.
Work was funded via £4.8 million from Welsh Government social housing grant, £4.8 million from Cardiff and Vale Health Board (via Welsh Government) and £3.4 million of private finance from CCHA.
Housing and regeneration minister Carl Sargeant officially opened the scheme in November and welcomed tenants to their new homes. ‘I’m delighted to be opening this fantastic new affordable housing development here at Loudoun Square,’ he said. ‘It shows what can be achieved through collaborative working and is another example of how the Social Housing Grant is making a real difference to the people of Wales. It’s particularly pleasing to note the impact that the whole development is having on the local community.’
Kevin Protheroe, chief executive of Cardiff Community Housing Association, said: ‘The regeneration of the area has been a long time coming for the local community and we are really proud to finally mark the completion of the scheme.’