Regeneration from serengroup on Vimeo.

We’d like to introduce you to the newest member of the Seren team - he’s called i’r Nefoedd, and he’s Seren’s very own Superdragon - or ‘Nef’ to his friends who have grown to love him already.  Translated, i’r Nefoedd means, ‘to the Heavens’ .

‘Nef’ will be on display outside Newport’s Central Market, from July to mid-October and, along with 59 other Superdragons, will play a a major part in this year’s Newport Festival. 

The Superdragon project has been developed by Newport City Council, in partnership with Wild in Art.  Each Dragon has been painted and decorated by local artists and community groups. 

‘Nef’ is a very friendly dragon;  he has already attracted a lot of attention, smiles  and admiring glances.  Young children of course, simply love him, giving him a gentle pat and wave as they pass by.

Don’t be shy, go and say ‘hi’ to ‘Nef’!

The CEW Awards are all about celebrating innovation and achievement in Welsh construction and this year, more than ever before, demonstrated that a collaborative approach to construction procurement and project management delivers outstanding results, on time, on budget and that are sustainable.

Located in the Old Town Dock area, Mariners Quay is a ground-breaking development which will provide 101 attractive, sustainable homes for local people. It is the first development of its size in Wales and one of only a handful in the UK to be built to Level 5 of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH).

Some of the features which enabled Mariners Quay to reach CSH Level 5 include an on-site energy centre, wood-chip biomass boiler, triple glazed windows and rainwater harvesting. As well as the enjoyment of a more sustainable way of life, the residents will also benefit from extremely low energy costs.

Amanda Davies, Seren Group Chief Executive said “We are all very proud of what we have achieved at Mariners Quay and to receive a CEW Award in recognition is the icing on the cake. We believe that we have created the homes of the future here in Newport. This wouldn’t have been possible without the shared vision and commitment of our partners including; Newport City Council, Newport Unlimited, the Welsh Assembly Government and Leadbitter.”

Russell Houghton, Regional Director of Leadbitter’s Western Housing division, said: “It was our Client, Seren Group, that from day one had the vision of making Mariners Quay an exemplar affordable—and sustainable—housing development. With their support and encouragement, Leadbitter has been able to build on that vision, implementing our project waste management plan to ensure we are not only delivering high quality sustainable homes, but that we are eliminating waste and working in a sustainable way during the construction process.”

The Low/Zero Carbon Award was one of ten Awards presented this year at the event hosted by Roy Noble. The annual awards are an opportunity for every part of the Welsh built environment to demonstrate their achievements and promote the ideals of collaborative working and best practice.

Milica Kitson, Chief Executive of CEW said “The example shown by all of our Award winners, particularly the winner of our Low/Zero Carbon award, Mariners Quay, clearly demonstrate that a collaborative approach to procurement and project management not only guarantees great projects, but is the only way to achieve Government targets on waste and low/zero carbon.”

To date over 94% of site waste from Mariners Quay has been diverted from landfill with approximately 62% re-used on site and 32% recycled.

Later in the day the Minister launched the second edition of Planning Policy Wales which highlights the important role the planning system has to play in ensuring a sustainable future for Wales. Planning Policy Wales provides the strategic policy framework for local planning authorities to use when preparing development plans and determining applications for planning permission.

The Minister said: “I’m delighted to have had the chance to visit Mariner’s Quay. This is exactly the high quality and sustainable development, on brown field land, that Planning Policy Wales is intended to deliver”.

Mariner’s Quay is a partnership between Newport City Council, Newport Unlimited, Leadbitter, the Seren Group and the Welsh Assembly Governmenrt. The £17m scheme will provide 101 homes along Newport’s riverfront and properties will include a mix of affordable homes for rent and for sale.

Bob has dedicated his life and retirement years to public service. Before he retired, Bob spent 40 years at the Audit Commission as Regional Director and has also been a non-executive Director of Cardiff & Vale NHS Trust and a voluntary Board Member with Cardiff University. Bob has made a significant contribution to securing improvement in public services in Wales and this public recognition is well deserved.

Well done Bob, we are very proud of you.

The groundbreaking development, which will see 101 new affordable homes being built on the city’s regenerated waterfront, is being built to level five of the Code for Sustainable Homes (CSH).

Constructed by Leadbitter Homes for local not-for-profit organisation Seren Group, Mariners Quay is the result of a successful partnership with Newport Unlimited, Newport City Council and the Welsh Assembly Government to provide affordable, high quality, sustainable accommodation in the city.

Part of the Welsh Assembly Government’s strategy is to increase the supply of affordable homes in Wales with funding being provided to help meet the target of 6,500 additional affordable homes in Wales by 2011. This is the largest development of its kind in Wales and will be one of only a handful to achieve a level five rating across the UK.

When complete, properties will benefit from substantially reduced energy bills, which could be as low as £5 per week per household. This is thanks to an on-site energy centre, a biomass boiler which burns woodchip fuel and will produce much of the power required for the development and rainwater harvesting technology.

The development, named Mariner’s Quay, is located in the Old Town Dock area of Newport and will feature one and two bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom houses. Around 1500 new properties will be built in the area and the 101 being built for the Seren Group will be allocated for affordable housing.

Bob Hutchings, Chair of Seren Group, said: “The Mariner’s Quay development is a really ambitious and high-profile project for us. We are committed to developing a sustainable community within Old Town Dock that will provide social and economic benefits to those that live both within the development and in the surrounding areas.”

Once built, the homes will be both available to rent through Charter Housing or to buy through the fairlakeliving shared equity scheme. Whether the resident chooses to buy or rent will be dependent on their individual circumstances.

Bob Hutchings continues: “With Mariners Quay we are striving to create a community in which people will want to stay and in turn help develop a much more sustainable housing market in Newport. The ultimate aim is to give people real choice over whether they rent or own their home.”

All the properties at Mariners Quay are built to the Lifetime Homes standard and will be around 15% larger than those available on the private market.

To register an interest in a property at Mariners Quay or to find out more please contact the Home Choice Team on 01633 678538

The initiative will include information sharing and evidence gathering to enable landlords to enforce tenancy agreements more effectively. High profile activities, such as joint community walkabouts, will build trust and relationships with residents, offering them reassurance that community safety is a priority. This trust is vital as residents are often called upon to provide evidence in anti-social behaviour cases.

Tenants take part in “Extend” sessions once a week, which involves armchair exercises and stretches. The Wii will now offer those that are able, a little something extra they can do at their own pace. With a variety of games, Charter believes initiatives like this are important to the health of older people and will help improve their overall fitness. Social interaction also plays an important part in their general wellbeing and the bowling game has been particularly popular! The Wii will also allow tenants to keep active during the winter months when they are not able to go out as much.

These downloads require Adobe Acrobat reader that is available as a free download here.

• Charter Financial Accounts 2009
• Fairlake Financial Accounts 2009
• Gwent Homes Financial Accounts 2009
• Group Accounts 2009
• Pen Yr Enfys Financial Accounts 2009
• Reach Financial Accounts 2009
• Solas Financial Accounts 2009

Download our Annual Review here: Annual Review 08/09