Homeless pods in Newport latest as pods arrive

Last week, the first two pods arrived in the city, having been pre-built in Hull, and delivered on the back of lorries to Hill Street car park.

And, though the steep streets caused some problems in bringing the pods to their destination, eventually, the first of the pods were lifted into place by a massive crane on Tuesday, February 8.

Having figured out the magic formula, the delivery of the next 10 pods was able to continue throughout the week, and pictures of the site taken on Sunday, February 13, show that all 12 have now been installed in place.

Of course, they are by no means the finished product, with permanent stairs to the first floor pods needed, and the external finish to the accommodations still needed.

The before and after, taken just five days apart

But, inside the pods, much of the work has already been done for the crews on the ground in Newport – as the interiors have already been fitted out.

There is hope that the remaining work required at Hill Street is fairly minimal, with Linc Cymru, the housing association behind the project, revealing that should all go according to plan, the pods could be habitable in just a matter of weeks.

However, there is still one obstacle standing in the way – the lack of planning permission currently in place allowing for the scheme to go ahead.

Hill Street pods planning latest

Last autumn, the scheme to build 12 modular homes on Hill Street Car Park in Newport city centre was recommended for approval by council planning officers, before the planning committee voted to refuse the plans in December 2021, by a margin of five votes to four.

But, under Welsh Government granted Permitted Development Rights, building work started on site in September 2021 – and can continue, though developers are still required to secure planning permission within 12 months of work starting.

In what is something of a twist, the rejection by councillors comes after Newport City Council agreed to lease a section of the car park to Linc Cymru, for a period of 250 years.

All 12 pods have arrived in Newport

Now, Linc are in the process of submitting a modified planning application, which seeks to address some of the concerns made by nearby residents, which largely concerned the design and appearance of the development.

Some of the changes include introducing green walls, additional landscaping, and a redesigned perimeter wall and railings.

What’s more, the bin and bike storage will be redesigned to make them more traditional in appearance.

It is hoped that these measures, along with the fact that the block will be set back from Hill Street, will make them more appealing.

Parts of the original plan are set to remain, however.

This includes the two-storey building with 12 one-person apartments – which have now arrived, with decking and balcony space.

These are located on the eastern side of Hill Street Car Park, with 28 parking spaces to be retained.