Kingsway car park to open early August
June 15, 2009
The Kingsway Shopping Centre is set to open its new state-of-the-art car park in the centre of Newport at the beginning of August.
The 1,050 space car park, which includes 30 disabled spaces and parent and child spaces, is located in the heart of city next to the library and Newport Centre.
The car park allows direct access to the newly refurbished Kingsway shopping Centre anchored by Wilkinson and where Peacocks have just re-opened their new larger store.
John Burrows of Newport Unlimited Urban Regeneration Company said "This is a great asset for Newport City Centre and will be convenient for shopping and leisure activities".
Kingsway car park will be open between 8am and midnight providing Newport with modern, secure and accessible parking. The current Capitol car park will close when the new car park opens.
Forty spaces are available for annual permit holders. Further information can be obtained from the centre manager, Michael Hine on 01633 258151.
John Burrows added "With easy access to the Kingsway Centre, City Centre shops, Indoor Market and Farmers Market twice a month, shoppers and workers will now find parking easy and convenient. Near the Leisure Centre, The Riverfront Theatre and Arts Centre and River Usk there are plenty of activities to enjoy after a shopping trip".
The car park is owned by UBS Triton Property Fund.
Newport Unlimited
01/07/09
Wales’ Largest Eco Housing Development gets Thumbs-Up from Minister
09/12/09
The largest sustainable new housing development in Wales received the official seal of approval from the Deputy Housing Minister, Jocelyn Davies, when she visited the site in Newport.
The groundbreaking development, which will see 101 new affordable homes developed on the city’s regenerated waterfront, is being built to level five of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH). This will be the largest of its kind in Wales and one of only a handful to achieve a level five rating across the UK.
The development, which has been named Mariners Quay, is located in the Old Town Dock area of Newport and will feature one and two bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom houses.
Constructed by Leadbitter Group for local not-for-profit organisation, Seren Group, Mariners Quay is the result of a successful partnership with Newport Unlimited, Newport City Council and the Welsh Assembly Government to provide affordable, high quality, sustainable accommodation in the city. In total around 1500 new properties will be built in the Old Town Dock area, with the 101 being built for the Seren Group being allocated as affordable housing.
This is part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy to increase the supply of affordable homes in Wales, with funding being provided to help meet the target of 6,500 additional affordable homes in Wales by 2011.
As the largest sustainable development at code level five in Wales, a significant proportion of the energy required to power the homes will be produced on site. The Code has been adopted by the Welsh Assembly Government as the preferred tool to assess how sustainable development is being implemented in new homes in Wales and ranges from levels one to six. The Code looks at factors such as energy and CO2, water, waste and pollution.
When complete, properties at the development will benefit from substantially reduced energy bills, which could be as low as £2 per week per household. This is partly thanks to an on-site energy centre, which includes a biomass boiler that burns woodchip fuel and will produce much of the power required for the development, and rainwater harvesting technology.
Bob Hutchings, Chair of Seren Group, said: "The Mariners Quay development is a really ambitious and high-profile project for us. We are committed to developing a sustainable community within Old Town Dock that will provide social and economic benefits to those that live both within the development and in the surrounding areas."
Says Bob Rendell, Chief Executive of the Leadbitter Group: "Leadbitter is proud to be building this extremely important development on behalf of the Seren Group. We are committed to engaging with and supporting the communities within which we work and are therefore delighted to be helping the Seren Group fulfil its vision of developing low cost, energy efficient housing that will contribute towards creating a sustainable modern community in the heart of Newport’s heritage regeneration area."
Once built, the properties at Mariners Quay will be available on a tenure neutral basis. This means that the homes will both be available to rent through Seren’s housing arm, Charter Housing, and to buy through the shared equity scheme operated by their development arm Fairlake. Whether the resident chooses to buy or rent is dependent on their individual circumstances.
This builds on the cutting edge work Seren Group and Newport City Council have undertaken to implement the Assembly’s vision of neutral tenure in Wales.
Deputy Minister for Housing, Jocelyn Davies, said: "When we look at a scheme like Mariners Quay, it’s clear how much more we can achieve by working together rather than on our own. While we recognise the traditions that made Newport what it is today, the city is being transformed, and it’s Mariners Quay’s future residents who will really see the benefits of the transformation, which is supported by the Welsh Assembly Government. I look forward to coming back when the development is complete, to meet the first tenants as they move in."
Bob Hutchings continues: "With Mariners Quay we are striving to create a community in which people will want to stay and in turn help develop a much more sustainable housing market in Newport. The ultimate aim is to give people real choice over whether they rent or own their home."
All the properties at Mariners Quay are built to the Lifetime Homes standard and will be around 15% larger than those available on the private market.
