NEW HOMES AND JOBS CREATED AT COED DARCY

Work has officially started today (12 November 2012) on the next phase of housing at Coed Darcy in Neath, South Wales, marking a significant step forward in the development of the £1.2 billion community.

St. Modwen, the landowner and developer of Coed Darcy, and its joint venture partner on this phase of housing, Persimmon, have started building 302 properties at the northern end of the 1,060 acre development (the equivalent of almost two Olympic Parks), which is expected to provide around 880 jobs for the local area.

The development area consisting of a range of homes, townhouses and flats will form the first of three residential neighbourhoods planned at Coed Darcy, which will be linked through village greens and play areas as the community develops. The mix of two, three and four bedroom high quality properties are expected to the launched to the market in December, following high levels of interest from prospective buyers.

To pave the way for the housing, St. Modwen is also nearing completion on a £3 million programme of advanced infrastructure works, creating a new gateway into the community and a new road linking the homes with the M4 motorway. The improved access is also set to benefit more than 100 tenants located at the well established business park of Coed Darcy Limited when works complete in March next year.

To officially mark the start of works, Rupert Joseland of St. Modwen was joined on site by Andrew Crompton and Stuart Phillips of Persimmon as well as Leader Ali Thomas and John Flower of Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council.

Rupert Joseland, South Wales Regional Director for St. Modwen, commented: “Coed Darcy is a flagship development for us and a significant regeneration project for Wales. It will eventually be home to more than 10,000 residents and will also create more than 4,000 new jobs to support the local economy.

“This is the second site in Wales where we are constructing homes in partnership with Persimmon. We’re pleased to hear that there is already a positive level of interest from prospective buyers ahead of the show home launch.”

Andrew Crompton, Residential Land Director, Persimmon Homes: commented: “Persimmon has worked closely with all the key stakeholders on this project, including; The Prince’s Foundation, Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and St. Modwen to create an exciting and sustainable new community at Coed Darcy. We have designed a wide range of traditionally styled dwellings that should appeal to a variety of purchasers, with all homes benefiting high standards of insulation to achieve economic running costs.

“Persimmon is shortly to establish a Regional Office based in Swansea to expand its operations in West Wales, in addition to its existing business in East Wales. Coed Darcy is one of several new projects to commence in West Wales in the next few months, all of which will not only provide new homes but a boost to the local economy and thousands of new jobs over the next few years. We are actively looking to acquire new land in the region and we will be working closely with local Authorities in the area.”

Councillor Ali Thomas, Leader of Neath Port Talbot Council, said: “The start of works on the new phase of housing is a very positive development for Coed Darcy.

“This is a key regeneration scheme for Neath Port Talbot, set to deliver thousands of homes, new community facilities and local jobs.

“We are committed to making the County Borough an attractive location to live, work and visit by bringing forward multi-million pound projects. With developments like Coed Darcy gathering pace, we can see a real confidence in the area as a place to invest and do business.”

This is the latest milestone in the ongoing delivery of Coed Darcy, a major regeneration project bringing more than 4,000 homes and up to 4,000 jobs to the region over the next 20 years. Led by St. Modwen in partnership with Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council and the Prince’s Foundation, Coed Darcy will also provide four schools, a range of community facilities including a Main Square and a mix of leisure and recreational facilities.