The scheme is being brought forward by Derwen May Homes, a company founded in 2024 by Cardiff-born Huw Llewellyn, who previously held senior roles at Barratt Homes and Persimmon Homes. Pontarddulais is the firm’s first site since incorporation.
According to the developer’s consultation page and the accompanying Design and Access Statement, the plans include a mix of one to four-bedroom houses, with 14 affordable homes. The layout promises green corridors, rain gardens, and shared open spaces, with streets designed to favour pedestrians over cars. The architects say the scheme will “avoid the generic housebuilder aesthetic seen elsewhere” by reflecting the agricultural character of the site.
A development pitched as “landscape-led”
The proposals emphasise public space over large private gardens, with natural play areas and walking routes integrated into the design. Homes would be built with air source heat pumps, solar panels, and electric vehicle charging points, aiming to reduce running costs for residents.
Derwen May Homes say the project is intended to create a “distinct identity” for a new neighbourhood on the edge of Pontarddulais, while making use of existing landscape features such as hedgerows and mature trees.
More details about the scheme are available on the developer’s Kyffin Meadows site.
Pontarddulais facing wave of housing proposals
This latest plan adds to a growing list of developments proposed for Pontarddulais. Earlier this year, Walters Group submitted plans for 150 homes on the site of the former Tata Steelworks. Meanwhile, Persimmon Homes has brought forward a 500-home “zero-carbon ready” scheme, which has also been the subject of public consultation.
A separate proposal for 30 homes on the former Clayton Works site was dismissed at appeal earlier this year on flood risk grounds, but the volume of schemes still on the table has prompted community pushback. Residents have raised concerns about traffic, school capacity, healthcare access, and the loss of green space, warning that the town risks being overwhelmed by development.
Wider housing pressures in Swansea
The Bolgoed Farm scheme also comes against the backdrop of Swansea’s wider housing targets. A Swansea Bay News investigation revealed that just 300 of the 7,000 homes promised under the city’s housing blueprint have been built so far.
Developers argue new homes are essential to meet demand, but critics say Pontarddulais risks being disproportionately affected without matching investment in infrastructure.
What happens next
Derwen May Homes is currently running a statutory pre-application consultation, with a formal planning application expected to be submitted to Swansea Council in due course.
If approved, the Kyffin Meadows development would significantly expand the town’s southern boundary and add to the tally of new homes being proposed for Pontarddulais.
Swansea Bay News will continue to follow the story as it develops.
