Land and housing development in Newport

Newport has some of the most distinctive ground in South Wales. South of the city, the Gwent Levels are low-lying alluvial land, protected by sea walls and drained by a network of ditches known locally as reens. Eight Sites of Special Scientific Interest cover parts of the Levels, including Nash and Goldcliff, and Redwick and Llandevenny, so land near them brings both soft ground and environmental limits.

Soft alluvium changes how a house is supported. Where firm ground lies deep, the foundation design has to follow what a proper ground investigation finds, rather than assuming a standard footing will do, and that can decide whether a scheme stacks up. We build foundations and reinforced concrete ourselves, so we can price the answer instead of guessing at it.

Then there is the Usk, which has the second highest tidal range in the world. Natural Resources Wales has completed a flood scheme protecting more than 660 homes around Crindau, and a £21 million scheme at Liswerry was designed to reduce the risk to 2,000 properties. Under TAN 15, in force since March 2025, the Flood Map for Planning sets how a site near the river or the Levels is treated, and it is the first thing we check.

Up the hill, Bettws, Malpas and Rogerstone sit on higher, sloping ground where levels and retaining walls tend to matter more than flood water. Wherever the plot is, Newport City Council acts as the SuDS Approval Body, and new sewers joining the public network need a Section 104 agreement with Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water. Both go into the layout from day one, not after planning is granted.