Usk Way
Authority: Newport City Council
Proposed development:
Outline application (all matters reserved) for circa 995 sqm of flexible floorspace of either office (Class B1)/ hotel (Class C1)/ education (Class D1) or leisure (Class D2). The application was seeking the principle of the development for the various land uses, utilising the full footprint of the site.
Planning issues:
The site is in a sustainable and visually prominent location, comprising of a vacant brownfield unattractive parcel of land, that is relatively constrained and immediately adjacent to the River Usk, with a SSSI and SAC designation. The flood risk category had been recently downgraded from C2 to Zone B, although a Flood Consequence Assessment was required to support the application. It is also in an Archaeological Sensitive Area and has significant contamination levels. The technical reports were prepared very swiftly and the parameter plans provided indicative height and massing for the proposed development. The application sought the regeneration of the site for a range of land uses to allow flexibility in the next stage of the project. All of the land uses are appropriate for this central and sustainable location.
Result:
KEW Planning was instructed to prepare the Outline planning application in a very short timescale (3 weeks), which was completed. Together with the lead architect, LA Architects, KEW Planning engaged with the LPA having a pre-application meeting and co-ordinated the preparation of the technical reports to ensure the application was submitted swiftly, during the COVID pandemic. The result was a unanimous approval was achieved at Newport Council Planning Committee in October 2020.
“KEW Planning worked very hard pulling all the application documents together in a very short time, under pressure and in a collaborative ethos with the Architects (LA Architects) and Newport Norse. Norse were impressed with the drive and professionalism of Kew Planning and the result speaks for itself, having the application approved at this prime regeneration site.”
Mark McSweeney, Associate Director, Newport Norse