Cardiff Unveils 60 New Council Homes on Crwys Road – Cardiff 2026

Key Points

• Cardiff Council is proposing to acquire a new mixed-use development on Crwys Road in Cathays to deliver 60 council-rent apartments.
• The scheme includes a purpose-built community centre on the ground floor and additional retail space, replacing the former Co-op store and office building at 62–64 Crwys Road.
• The proposals will be considered by the council’s Cabinet at its meeting on Thursday, 16 July 2026.
• The development forms part of Cardiff Council’s broader commitment to deliver more than 4,500 new homes across the city under its Council Housing Development Programme.
• Planning approval for the five-storey mixed-use building has already been granted.
• If approved, the council would enter a purchase agreement with developer Willowmead Holdings Ltd (WHL) to acquire the completed development.
• Construction is expected to finish by summer 2028, subject to Cabinet approval, successful due diligence and allocation of grant funding.
• The scheme includes plans to relocate the Cathays Community Group from their current building on Cathays Terrace into the new ground-floor community space.
• Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said the council is exploring wider delivery options beyond its core new-build programme to meet the urgent need for affordable housing.
• Should Cabinet approve the proposal, authority would be delegated to officers to complete due diligence and satisfy agreed conditions before any acquisition proceeds.

Cardiff (Cardiff Daily) July 13, 2026 – Cardiff Council is moving to add 60 new council homes in Cathays by acquiring a completed mixed-use development on Crwys Road, a move that could significantly expand affordable housing stock in the city while also providing a new community centre and retail space.

What is Cardiff Council proposing for Crwys Road in Cathays?

Cardiff Council has unveiled plans to deliver 60 new council homes in Cathays as part of its Council Housing Development Programme. Proposals to acquire a new housing development on Crwys Road – providing 60 apartments alongside a purpose-built community centre and ground floor retail space – will be considered by Cabinet at its next meeting on Thursday, July 16, according to the council’s published statement.

The proposed development is located on the site of the former Co-op store and office building at 62–64 Crwys Road, within a well-connected residential area close to shops, services and public transport, the council said. The redevelopment, which has already received planning approval, would deliver a five-storey mixed-use building, including 60 apartments for council rent, a community centre and ground floor retail space.

How many new council homes will this deliver and where do they fit in Cardiff’s wider housing strategy?

The plans form part of the council’s commitment to deliver more than 4,500 new homes across the city, Cardiff Council stated in its announcement. The 60 apartments on Crwys Road are therefore a specific component of a much larger housing expansion programme.

Cllr Lynda Thorne, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said:

“We are exploring a wider range of delivery options beyond our core new build programme to help meet the urgent need for affordable housing. This proposal would deliver 60 new council homes, helping to ensure more people in Cardiff have access to a safe and secure place to live,”

as reported by the council in its official statement.

Why is the council choosing to acquire a completed development rather than build from scratch?

The council indicated that it is looking beyond traditional new-build approaches to accelerate delivery. As reported by the council itself, Cllr Thorne added:

“Cardiff continues to face significant housing pressures, which is why we are bringing forward proposals that increase the supply of council homes as quickly and responsibly as possible”.

Under the proposal, the council would enter into a purchase agreement with developer Willowmead Holdings Ltd (WHL) to acquire the completed development, rather than managing construction directly, the council said. Construction is expected to be finished by summer 2028, subject to Cabinet approval, successful due diligence and grant funding allocation.

What happens if Cabinet approves the Crwys Road proposal?

Should Cabinet approve the proposal, authority would be delegated to officers to complete the necessary due diligence and satisfy the agreed conditions before any acquisition proceeds, according to the council’s published details.

This means that even if the political decision is positive, the actual purchase would only occur once financial, legal and technical checks are completed.

The council’s statement also notes that the deal depends on grant funding allocation, implying that public or other external funding may be required to support the acquisition and related costs.

How will the community centre and local groups be affected by the redevelopment?

As part of the scheme, the council is working with Cathays Community Group to relocate them from their existing building on Cathays Terrace into the new ground floor community space, the council confirmed. This means the redevelopment is not only about housing but also about preserving and upgrading local community infrastructure.

The purpose-built community centre is intended to serve as a dedicated ground-floor space within the five-storey building, alongside retail units, the council said.

No further details were provided on the size or facilities of the community centre in the initial announcement.

Where is the site and what connects it to the wider neighbourhood?

The proposed development is located on the site of the former Co-op store and office building at 62–64 Crwys Road, within a well-connected residential area close to shops, services and public transport, Cardiff Council said.

Cruys Road is a known residential and commercial corridor in Cathays, an area that already includes a mix of housing, student accommodation, and local businesses.

The council’s description emphasises the site’s proximity to shops, services and public transport, suggesting that the new homes would benefit from existing infrastructure rather than requiring major new investments in connectivity.

What legal and financial steps must be completed before the homes can be delivered?

The council has stated that the redevelopment has already received planning approval, which removes one major hurdle before construction can proceed. However, the acquisition itself remains conditional.

Under the proposal, the council would enter into a purchase agreement with developer Willowmead Holdings Ltd (WHL) to acquire the completed development, but construction is expected to be finished by summer 2028 only

“subject to Cabinet approval, successful due diligence and grant funding allocation,”

the council said. Should Cabinet approve the proposal, authority would be delegated to officers to complete the necessary due diligence and satisfy the agreed conditions before any acquisition proceeds.

Background: Cardiff’s Council Housing Development Programme and the Crwys Road Site

The 60-unit Crwys Road proposal is part of Cardiff Council’s Council Housing Development Programme, which aims to deliver more than 4,500 new homes across the city, according to the council’s own statement. The programme reflects a broader strategy to increase the supply of council-rent homes in response to what Cllr Thorne described as “significant housing pressures” in Cardiff.

The site at 62–64 Crwys Road has previously been occupied by a Co-op store and an office building, which have since closed, leaving a vacant mixed-use building in a residential area of Cathays.

The council’s decision to redevelop this site rather than pursue a traditional new-build scheme suggests a strategy of using existing or near-complete developments to accelerate delivery, as Cllr Thorne noted that the council is

“exploring a wider range of delivery options beyond our core new build programme”.

The involvement of Willowmead Holdings Ltd (WHL) as the developer indicates that the council is working with private-sector partners to deliver council housing, rather than constructing the buildings itself.

This approach is consistent with the council’s emphasis on delivering homes “as quickly and responsibly as possible” while still meeting affordability and tenure requirements.

The planned relocation of the Cathays Community Group from Cathays Terrace into the new ground-floor community space demonstrates that the scheme is designed not only to add housing but also to sustain and upgrade local community provision, the council said.

Prediction: How Could This Development Affect Cathays Residents and the Wider Cardiff Housing Market?

If the Crwys Road proposal is approved and completed by summer 2028, the immediate effect for Cathays will be the addition of 60 council-rent apartments in a well-connected area, which could reduce pressure on local waiting lists for affordable housing, based on the council’s own description of the scheme’s purpose. Residents currently searching for council housing in the city may benefit from an expanded pool of available properties, particularly in an area with existing shops, services and public transport links.

For the wider Cardiff housing market, the Crwys Road development represents a concrete step towards the council’s target of more than 4,500 new homes, which could help moderate demand for privately rented accommodation if a significant share of applicants move into council housing instead, as implied by Cllr Thorne’s comments on the “urgent need for affordable housing”.

However, the actual impact will depend on how many of the 60 units are allocated to local households, how quickly they are let, and whether similar acquisition-based schemes are rolled out elsewhere in the city.

The relocation of the Cathays Community Group into a purpose-built community centre could strengthen local community services, potentially improving access to support, activities and facilities for residents, the council said. In turn, this could enhance the social infrastructure of Cathays, making the area more attractive for families and long-term residents.

At the same time, the introduction of a five-storey mixed-use building on a site formerly occupied by a single-storey Co-op and office block will change the physical character of that part of Crwys Road, which could affect footfall, noise levels and parking patterns in the immediate vicinity.

Whether these changes are perceived as positive or negative will depend on how the retail space is used, how the community centre is managed, and how well the council and developer coordinate with local residents during construction and after completion.

Overall, the Crwys Road proposal is a targeted but potentially significant intervention in Cardiff’s affordable housing strategy, with the most direct benefits expected for households seeking council rent homes in Cathays and the wider city, according to the council’s stated objectives.