More than 55,000 new properties are required over the next 15 years in Cardiff, to house the booming population of the city. Council leaders have also predicted that the creation of so many new homes will wipe out the many green field sites in Cardiff, transforming it into a concrete jungle by 2026.
These figures were part of a public consultation which will help to shape Cardiff council’s new LDP (Local Development Plan), a plan that will set out how many new properties can be built and more importantly where. The figures are based on predictions that the population of Cardiff will increase by 42% in the next twenty years. This increase is the second highest of any local authority in Wales or England. Property owners looking to expand their portfolio will be seriously considering taking out landlord insurance on a number of these properties as the prospects for property investment in the city is better than ever.
Council leader Rodney Berman said “There is a real danger that Cardiff could change beyond all recognition with the quality of life for residents being diminished forever. The concern that we have is that working within the Assembly Government requirements and their population projections, we have to put three options out to consultation and even the lowest option has an unpalatable amount of housing. It could lead to substantial amount of Greenfield land on the fringe of the city being swallowed up.”
Residents are being asked to give their view on three growth options and are invited to a series of public consultations which start next week. Residents are also being asked to give their views about the possible sites pencilled in for development, many of which are currently used as farmland and are located on the outskirts of Cardiff where there is a substantial amount of Greenfield land.