An Urban Village plan which could bring 900 new homes next to the thriving Mamhilad Park Estate has been approved by Torfaen County Borough Council.
The mixed-use scheme, which includes construction on the former Parke-Davis site in Pontypool, will also deliver a primary school, a multi-use neighbourhood centre and substantial formal and informal play and recreational facilities.
The approved development, located on the A4042 between the M4 motorway and Abergavenny will include approximately 47 acres of residential development, including a range of family homes and a “significant percentage” of affordable homes.
The development will also include a series of open spaces linked by tree-lined streets to create walking and cycling routes connecting with the Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal.
The proposed green spaces include a neighbourhood park at the heart of the site, retention of ancient woodland, as well as a range of ecological measures associated with new housing.
Many hundreds of jobs will be created during the construction of the multi million pound scheme.
Property company Johnsey Estates, which owns the brown field development land and the neighbouring Mamhilad Park Estate where some 1,700 people work, submitted the outline application to Torfaen planners.
Torfaen County Borough Council’s planning committee agreed with their officers’ recommendation to approve the scheme on the brown field site.
Andrew Wilkinson, chairman of Johnsey Estates, said: “This isn’t simply a straightforward housing development, it is an imaginative regeneration project which will see the creation of an urban village. This village will create a community which is a great place in which to live, to bring up a family and in which to work. It will deliver an exceptional and enviable quality of life.”
Johnsey Estates chief executive officer James Crawford said: “We are really excited about the potential for this development due to its unique location, its fabulous setting and its accessibility, which all make it a really attractive place to live and work.
“Johnsey Estates has been on site at Mamhilad Park for more than 30 years and in that time we have made a huge amount of investment, which has resulted in the creation of a marvellous business park where hundreds of people are now employed in a variety of jobs and forging a huge range of careers.
“Quality and excellence has been at the forefront of our endeavours at Mamhilad Park Estate, an ethos which we will carry forward in the delivery of the Urban Village.
“Now outline planning permission has been granted we’re looking forward to progressing to the next stage and to realising the true potential of this magnificent location.”