The 800-home new area of Cardiff on the site of a former paper mill

The Mill scheme in Ely is now complete after a decade of development and will include social housing and properties for people on low to moderate household incomes.

One of the biggest brownfield affordable housing-led schemes in Wales has seen its last phase of development completed. The Mill scheme, on the site of the former Arjo Wiggins paper mill in the Ely area of Cardiff, has been over a decade in development.

The £150m project has been part-funded (£75m) by Principality Commercial, the commercial lending arm of Wales’ largest building society, and delivered in partnership with Welsh Government, Lovell, and Cadwyn Housing Association.

Half of the 800 homes were built specifically for affordable rent through Tirion Homes, including 75 made available as social housing. It has also provided 325 intermediate (below market rent for people with low to moderate household incomes) and discounted homes for rent. Some 358 of the scheme’s properties were sold on the open market by Lovell.

Community benefit society Tirion Homes was created in 2012 by the Welsh Government and Principality Building Society to deliver affordable housing across Wales using a finance model not requiring grant funding.

The last stage of development has seen 157 affordable homes built, comprising a mixture of apartments and houses, managed by Cadwyn Housing Association. All the properties have already been rented out to new tenants.

A new train station at the Mill has been identified by Transport for Wales as a priority new station, but as yet there is no committed funding, as is also the case for proposed stations at Roath Park and Gabalfa. There is, though, a funded commitment for new South Wales Metro stations in the capital in Butetown and Crwys Road.

Richard Wales, commercial lending director of Principality Building Society, said: “With the successful completion of the final phase of the Mill development, we are hugely excited to see the transformation of the formerly abandoned paper mill site into a vibrant and sustainable community for Cardiff.

“This milestone represents our commitment to making life’s hopes and aspirations possible in a way that works for all. By helping people into their own property, funding sustainable and affordable housing, and supporting the creation of homes that meet the needs of future generations, we are contributing to a brighter future for local communities.”

In addition to the new homes created, infrastructure work undertaken includes new roads, a viaduct and improvements to flood defences in the area. A total of five commercial units are also available to rent, which will be managed by Tirion Homes, which is in discussions with interested parties.

The site has also developed a riverside park which includes green spaces, children’s play area and cycle paths. A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Through our loan investment we’ve been able to provide £8m worth of funding support towards the Mill development.”

“We know that good quality housing is in high demand in the area and it’s fantastic that through our partnerships we’ve been able to give the site a new lease of life and deliver for the community.”

David Ward, chief executive of Tirion Homes, said: “We are thrilled to celebrate the completion of the final phase of the Mill development. This project is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our team and partners over the last 12 years who have successfully navigated many challenges along the way, most notably through the Covid-19 pandemic. The Mill is now a vibrant, sustainable space which allows households to thrive, as well as being a part of the ongoing regeneration that is happening across Cardiff.

“The high demand for these quality homes underscores the importance of our mission to provide affordable housing. As an organisation, we are all about providing greater choice to those unable to, or those not seeking, to purchase their own home. This would not be possible without the unwavering support of Principality Building Society, Welsh Government, Cadwyn and Lovell. We are proud to have reached this significant achievement and look forward to continuing our efforts to build more sustainable communities in Wales.”

James Duffett, regional managing director of Lovell, said: “The Mill is our flagship development in Cardiff, combining the very best of our partnerships and sales expertise. We have built each home with care and attention to detail, keeping the future residents in mind every step of the way, and we are now immensely proud to have completed the final phase and provided 800 high-quality homes.

“This successful partnership between ourselves, Tirion, Cadwyn, Principality Building Society and Welsh Government has transformed the former paper mill site into a thriving community, with homes that people can be proud to own for generations to come.