Creigiau, Cardiff

The Challenge

Creigiau is a small, rural village located to the north-west of Cardiff, historically shaped by its quarrying past and strong Welsh cultural identity. The village is home to a thriving community with access to local amenities, including a primary school and recreation grounds, but faces challenges as it grows. The proposed development aims to create a new upland village as a southern extension to Creigiau, situated on a site characterised by steep topography, ancient woodland, and existing ecological constraints. The area's natural and historic assets, including acient woodland and disused railway corridor, present opportunities for a landscape-led approach but require careful integration to protect biodiversity and manage surface water flooding. The challenge is to develop a sustainable, connected, and visually sensitive masterplan that respects the village’s character while addressing modern needs for housing, transport links, and community facilities.

Our Role

The Urbanists played a key role in shaping the vision, guiding design principles, and ensuring that development proposals were responsive to their context while fostering community integration and enhancing the quality of life for residents. Our team provided Urban Design and Masterplanning services to help promote via Cardiff’s LDP and secure outline planning permission for up to 650 homes. 

The Outcome

The Masterplan and Design and Access Statement played a pivotal role in securing unanimous approval for the scheme. The submission of future Reserved Matters applications is contingent upon meeting several conditions, including the development of a Design Code, which The Urbanists aspire to lead in delivering.