Drone footage shows the sheer size of the new housing development being built on the former Mabey Bridge shipyard, next to the remnants of Brunel’s Grade II listed ‘Great Tubular Bridge.’

Plans were passed in 2017 for over 400 new eco-friendly homes to be built on the site by the company Barratt Homes in the Brunel Quarter of Chepstow.

The site appears to be taking shape with the three-bedroom houses already listed on the market.

The large housing development has created a range of homes from one to four bedrooms.

Some of the three bed properties are listed already online, ranging in price starting from £325,000 up to over £500,000.

Planning was later passed for a further 26 homes on the site, all to be ‘affordable – providing housing for families with varying needs.’

These 26 additional homes were created in a partnership between Pobl Group, Monmouthshire County Council, Welsh Government and Barratt Homes.

As well as this, the new site has 18 properties helping house families through temporary accommodation.

The Barratt Homes project is also building parks, gardens, public spaces, and a riverside walk in the area.

Despite controversy over building on the historic WW2 site, the Pobl Group reassured locals that ‘the redevelopment honours heritage by preserving the stunning Brunel House within the wider development,’ which you can see stands out in the picture below.

It is currently being used by developers as offices according to witnesses. (Image: Marcus Hobber)

When plans were first announced local people opposed them due to believing that the road infrastructure, as well as local schools and other amenities such as GPs and dentists, could not cope with the increase in population.

They also expressed concern over the anticipated increase of pollution in the area.

“There is a huge demand for affordable housing throughout Monmouthshire with over 3,700 households on Monmouthshire’s housing waiting list,” said Sally Meyrick, Council’s Strategy & Policy Officer for Affordable Housing.

There are even larger housing developments being proposed in the area, with plans to turn the Beachley Barracks site, where the Army Apprentice College stood between 1924 and 1994, into 600 new build homes.

Upon seeing the drone footage of the Chepstow’s newest housing site, people have criticised the development.

John Tyson said: “Outrageous, who in their right mind would build in that location?”

Sue Constable said: “Half a million pounds for a terrace house with a tiny garden.”

Others have said the site reminds them of ‘Legoland’ and that they are ‘worried it will all be underwater eventually,’ as the site has been labelled as a flood risk area, due to the close proximity of the river.

To keep up to date with Monmouthshire planning applications, you can log in to the planning portal on their website.