Bristol property developer the Fear Group has teamed up with the city office of planning consultancy Nash Partnership to draw up a £60m mixed-use regeneration scheme to transform a run-down part of Newport.
The ambitious project, which has been submitted to Newport City Council for outline planning approval, includes a 600-bedroom student village, 144 homes and an 80-bed four-star hotel along with a convenience store, restaurant and GP surgery.
The 2.7 hectare riverside site in Wyndham Street has been derelict since Sainsbury’s closed its store there five years ago. The Fear Group, headed by Bristol-born entrepreneur Stephen Fear, is the University of South Wales’ preferred partner for new city centre student accommodation.
Presented with a narrow and challenging site, Nash Partnership collaborated with the local community and the council to draw up a scheme with a number of tall buildings to add presence to the gateway site and release space for public realm improvements including a riverside walk.
Nash Partnership partner Robert Locke said: “We are now seeing a stronger appetite for developers to take on brownfield sites which were being overlooked post the recession.
“These sites are not without their challenges, but our multi-disciplinary range of services is well-suited to get the best out of them. Wyndham Street in Newport is a shining example of how we can add significant value for our client base.
“The city of Newport is undergoing a transformation and the council’s riverside regeneration initiatives have given the city a feeling of self-belief. This has presented an ideal opportunity to make something happen at Wyndham Street, and our scheme aims to make a real and positive contribution to the city’s wider economic regeneration objectives.”
The scheme is one of the first to be undertaken by Nash’s recently opened Bristol office. The Bath-headquartered practice employs more than 35 staff across its two offices offering services spanning architecture, planning, regeneration, conservation, masterplanning and urban design.
Pictured: Two artist impression views of the £60m Wyndham Street regeneration scheme in Newport
