Awen shows Newport councillors round 42-home Mon Bank site ahead of 2027 start

Awen, the housing association formerly known as Monmouthshire Housing Association, has hosted Newport City Council representatives at its first affordable housing site in the city, where it plans to build 42 homes from 2027.

Councillor Saeed Adan, the council's Cabinet Member for Housing and Planning, and Stow Hill ward member Councillor Kate Thomas visited the site, Awen said in an announcement on 26 October 2026. Chief executive Gwyndaf Tobias and development director Chris Kinsey led the tour.

Awen said preparatory work would continue on site over the coming months, with construction due to begin in spring 2027. The homes will be built to high insulation standards and fully electrified, with funding support from Newport City Council and the Welsh Government, the association said.

Chris Kinsey, Development Director at Awen, said: "This development will deliver high quality, energy-efficient homes that will genuinely make a real difference for local people".

The scheme

The announcement did not name the site, but Awen's project pages identify it as Mon Bank, Newport, where 42 homes for social rent have planning consent. Planning permission was announced on 23 September 2025 for land northwest of the existing Mon Bank development off Cardiff Road, within easy access of junction 28 of the M4, according to the association.

LRM Planning, which acted as planning agent to Monmouthshire Housing Association for the application at land at Mon Bank Sidings, Cardiff Road, said the pre-application proposal comprised 16 one-bedroom apartments, 21 two-bedroom houses and five three-bedroom houses. The design team also includes LeTrucco Design Architecture and PHG Engineering Consultants, Awen's project page says.

The 26 October announcement gives the following mix:

Home type	Number
Two-bedroom houses	21
Three-bedroom houses	5
One-bedroom apartments	16

Awen's own Mon Bank project page, however, lists 19 two-bedroom houses, seven three-bedroom houses and 16 one-bedroom apartments, and gives a construction start of January 2027 rather than spring 2027.

Awen said in September 2025 that a fabric first approach had been taken to the homes' energy performance.

First step outside Monmouthshire

Mon Bank is the association's first development activity outside Monmouthshire, Gwyndaf Tobias said when planning permission was announced in September 2025, at which point he was interim chief executive. He was confirmed in the role on 29 October 2025, having led the organisation on an interim basis since November 2024.

Gwyndaf Tobias, CEO of Awen, said of the Newport visit: "Expanding our geographical reach has enabled us to help increase the supply of quality affordable housing in South Wales".

Councillor Adan welcomed "Awen Homes" to Newport and said he looked forward to seeing the partnership develop for residents.

The rebrand

Awen's rebrand announcement was posted on 29 September 2026, less than a month before the site visit. The organisation said the rebrand was not the result of a merger and did not involve any other organisation, and that it had recently expanded from Monmouthshire into neighbouring Torfaen and Newport. Its stated ambition is to deliver 5,000 homes by 2030.

The group was established in 2008 to take on the housing stock owned and managed by Monmouthshire County Council. The rebrand announcement said it owns and manages more than 3,900 homes, while its Our Story page puts the figure at more than 4,200 homes in Monmouthshire.

The association holds Green ratings from the Welsh Government for both Governance and Service Delivery and Financial Viability, according to an announcement posted on 18 August 2026.

Awen's project page for Mon Bank still uses the Monmouthshire Housing Association name. Construction of the 42 homes is due to start in 2027.