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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| Cities 'building too many flats' | Cities 'building too many flats' |
| (1 day later) | |
| Too many flats and too few houses are being built in Wales's biggest cities, claims a leading planning expert. | Too many flats and too few houses are being built in Wales's biggest cities, claims a leading planning expert. |
| Cardiff has seen the largest increase, with the number of new flats more than doubling in the past five years. | Cardiff has seen the largest increase, with the number of new flats more than doubling in the past five years. |
| A decade ago, about 20% of new homes in Cardiff were flats; now it is nearly 70% in some developments. | A decade ago, about 20% of new homes in Cardiff were flats; now it is nearly 70% in some developments. |
| Professor John Punter, of Cardiff University, said Wales's greenbelt land south of the M4 should be seen as the "natural repository of family housing". | Professor John Punter, of Cardiff University, said Wales's greenbelt land south of the M4 should be seen as the "natural repository of family housing". |
| "We're turning into a kind of 'apartment city'," said the professor of urban design and director of Design Commission Wales. | "We're turning into a kind of 'apartment city'," said the professor of urban design and director of Design Commission Wales. |
| He said: "In effect, what is happening to our housing market is it is becoming all apartments. | He said: "In effect, what is happening to our housing market is it is becoming all apartments. |
| They don't make the little estates they used to have, it's just a lot of high-rise apartment blocks House hunter Claire Smith | They don't make the little estates they used to have, it's just a lot of high-rise apartment blocks House hunter Claire Smith |
| "It does not cater for large sections of the community. Most apartments are one- and two-bedroom, so they are good for couples and people co-habiting and things like that. | "It does not cater for large sections of the community. Most apartments are one- and two-bedroom, so they are good for couples and people co-habiting and things like that. |
| "But as soon as people have children, they'd have to move out. And where would they go? Where would the new housing be? | "But as soon as people have children, they'd have to move out. And where would they go? Where would the new housing be? |
| "What's happening is that we're really not going to be building any new housing in Cardiff, the new family housing is going to be built up the valleys. | "What's happening is that we're really not going to be building any new housing in Cardiff, the new family housing is going to be built up the valleys. |
| "That would be OK if the transport network linking Cardiff to the valleys was adequate to take that demand." | "That would be OK if the transport network linking Cardiff to the valleys was adequate to take that demand." |
| He called for a "more balanced allocation" of land for housing as a predominance of building on brownfield sites "almost invariably means apartments". | He called for a "more balanced allocation" of land for housing as a predominance of building on brownfield sites "almost invariably means apartments". |
| Professor Punter said greenbelt land should be looked at for houses | |
| He said Swansea and Newport were "just beginning" the property-building boom Cardiff underwent from 2001. | He said Swansea and Newport were "just beginning" the property-building boom Cardiff underwent from 2001. |
| One couple, Patrick and Claire Smith, are renting a flat in Cardiff Bay but are looking to buy, ideally a two- or three-bedroomed house with a back garden. | One couple, Patrick and Claire Smith, are renting a flat in Cardiff Bay but are looking to buy, ideally a two- or three-bedroomed house with a back garden. |
| Mrs Smith said: "For us it's impossible at the moment. It's so expensive, over-inflated. There're very little affordable houses around. | Mrs Smith said: "For us it's impossible at the moment. It's so expensive, over-inflated. There're very little affordable houses around. |
| "They don't make the little estates they used to have, it's just a lot of high-rise apartment blocks. | "They don't make the little estates they used to have, it's just a lot of high-rise apartment blocks. |
| "We just feel we're banging our head against the wall trying to find something that's affordable." | "We just feel we're banging our head against the wall trying to find something that's affordable." |