Old shopping precinct makes way for new-look Blenheim Square
Work has begun on the old shopping precinct at Blenheim Square in St Dials, Cwmbran, as part of a £7 million regeneration scheme. This is a significant milestone in the project to transform the neighbourhood with 53 new high-quality homes for sale, affordable rent and affordable home ownership.
The new development, Blenheim Chase, is being driven by a partnership of the local business community and residents, Fairlake, Charter Housing, Torfaen County Borough Council and Lovell.
A specially adapted 24-tonne excavator is being used by housing developer Lovell to systematically demolish the external structure of the precinct’s old shops. This will allow the installation of infrastructure and services to be carried out in the spring ready for work on the second phase of housing to begin later this summer.
The demolition work at the shopping precinct was watched by representatives from Torfaen County Borough Council, Lovell and Fairlake. Guests included the owners of the general store and the hair salon formerly based at the precinct which have just moved into purpose-built new premises – built through the regeneration project – to the south of the old shopping square.
The first phase of the regeneration has seen the creation of 13 new homes, including eight properties for sale, two bungalows for affordable rent and three bungalows for affordable home ownership. There is already a lot of interest in the second phase of new housing, with a number of ‘early bird’ reservations already taken on some of the two- and three-bedroom homes, which will also include seven affordable homes for Fairlake.
Rhidian Jones, Fairlake’s Home Ownership Manager said: “We are pleased to be able to offer further quality homes for both affordable rent and sale through the Help2Own scheme. Blenheim Chase is a superb development located in a much sought-after area in Cwmbran, the new homes will go some way towards helping meet the need for affordable homes in Torfaen and in particular provide much needed assistance for first-time buyers wanting to buy their first home.”
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