Newport City Homes, County Borough of Newport

Newport City Homes is a not-for-profit association and the largest provider of social housing in the city and County Borough of Newport. They provide homes and services to more than 20,000 leaseholders and shared owners, holding ambitions to address the shortage of affordable homes in both Wales and the United Kingdom.

As part of a larger £40m package to enhance the safety and security of homes in Wales, Newport City Homes recently received a £4m grant from the Welsh Government to continue to make fire safety improvements to high-rise blocks in the city of Newport. Blocks of flats that are over 11 metres tall have received new doors and frames that comply with the latest fire safety standards, with works carried out at Greenwood in St Julians, Hillview in the Gaer, and Milton Court in Ringland.

Part of the new works included removing the existing refuse chutes and fitting new communal bins and recycling areas outside the blocks. The decommissioning of refuse chutes is increasingly common in residential environments. While they were originally designed as an easily accessible waste disposal method for residents in flatted accommodation, refuse chutes can present a number of drawbacks. Their convenience discourages recycling as it’s often easier for residents to dispose of all their waste in one single stream, while presenting further faults including blockages, odour, and fire risk if not correctly maintained. Ultimately, the maintenance costs, flaws in functionality, and lack of recycling opportunities outweigh the convenience factor.

Working with Newport City Homes as part of the improvement works for high-rise blocks at Greenwood, Hillview, and Milton Court, the metroSTOR team helped to provide a waste management solution that could reduce fire risk, ensure resident safety, improve operating efficiency and ease of access, while reducing the level of environmental impact. Installed around the exit routes of the corresponding properties, metroSTOR PBM Bin Storage Housings and metroSTOR FX Food Waste Bin Housings have been secured at a safe distance from the buildings in locations that enable efficient accessibility for both residents and bin crews.

Specific recycling apertures for the metroSTOR PBM included cardboard, cans and plastic, and cardboard, paper and cartons, with signage for the metroSTOR FX provided as food waste, and glass recycling. Bilingual messaging has also been integrated for native Welsh-speaking residents, helping to foster a sense of place and local identity.

Over the next decade, the social landlord aims to provide over 2500 new homes, progressing into one of the most significant developers of affordable housing in Wales. Providing a focus on 3 new strategic priorities: Customers, Community and Colleagues, their NCH Strategy 2025 set out ambitions and priorities for the next 5 years, and will include the regeneration of existing properties and facilities to ensure they meet the needs of residents.