Ye Olde Oak Stave pub flats plan to move forward without affordable housing

For a number of years, plans have been in the pipeline to demolish Ye Olde Oak Stave pub in the Rogerstone area of the city – and to replace it with 21 flats.

According to planning documents, six of these flats would have been designated as affordable housing.

Initially, plans were given the green light, and the once-popular pub was demolished, to make way for the flats.

But, that application was later withdrawn, and resubmitted – in a bid to remove the affordable housing element of the scheme.

These new plans went before Newport's planning committee on Wednesday, February 2, and, following a planning officer recommendation that they be approved, the committee voted in favour - subject to a section 106 contributions agreement being reached.

Six councillors voted in favour of the proposal, and one - Cllr Yvonne Forsey, voted against.

Another councillor, Cllr Charles Ferris, declared a conflict and withdrew from the meeting for this agenda item.

How did we get here?

Plans to demolish Ye Olde Oak Stave and to replace it with flats is not a new development – as it is a long running planning saga, now entering its fourth calendar year.

In June 2019, plans were submitted to demolish the pub, and replace it with six, four-bedroom houses.

At the time, the pub was trading as a coffee house, with then-applicants Punch Partnerships claiming it was ‘unviable’ for Ye Olde Oak Stave to reopen, with competition from several other pubs in the area such as the Rising Sun, Tiny Rebel and the Tredegar Arms.

How the pub looked, prior to its demolition

These plans were approved, but instead of work starting, a new application for 21 two-bedroom flats on the site was instead submitted.

This was met with significant opposition from local residents, but, while the height of the three flat blocks was lowered following consultation, these plans were also given the go-ahead.

According to a report by a council planning officer, the most recent resubmission “is to consider the financial viability of the scheme and the omission of previously approved on-site affordable housing. The proposed development is the same as that approved under permission 20/0696, although some amendments are made to the landscaping scheme.”

An artist impression of the flats

It is understood that the applicant, DSI Limited, carried out an ‘open book’ viability appraisal, which concluded that their profit would fall below 15 per cent if the initial obligations were requested.

However, it said that a profit “is achievable if affordable housing is removed.”

As part of the resubmission, there remains a commitment to delivering the Section 106 contributions to the local education and leisure sectors – a total of £44,367 for play facilities, and £38,068 to improve facilities at Mount Pleasant Primary School.