“The Hive” Laundry project, Central Chambers
The doors have officially been opened at a brand new, multi-purpose wellbeing facility in the heart of Newport, bringing a prominent city centre building back into community use.
The Hive, at Central Chambers on Stow Hill, will transform the supported living services offered by Pobl, providing a vibrant, accessible, and flexible space for people with additional needs and the wider local community to access.
Made possible through funding via The National Lottery Community Fund and the Housing With Care Fund, the Hive is the final part of a project that has seen Central Chambers, a 19th Century Grade II listed three-story that suffered major fire damage in 2016 restored. The building has now been transformed to provide 10 apartments at the higher levels, with the Newport Housing Support Hub on the ground floor alongside The Hive. All work has been carried out by Kingfisher with Gareth Seaborne and Gareth Jones leading on the apartment development and recently the Hub works and Hive project.
Plans for The Hive were drawn up in conjunction with community groups and individuals supported by Pobl. The space incorporates a working kitchen for skill building and skill sharing, a café style area, and areas for public use, along with a community launderette and space for pop-up businesses. Individuals supported by Pobl will enjoy volunteering and employment opportunities within the scheme.
Senior Project Manager, Ellis Cunliffe, oversaw the project for Pobl. She added:
“Central Chambers is a fairly small building with a big history. Following severe fire damage to this Listed Building, it has been a long and challenging journey to bring it back into beneficial use. We’re really pleased that the finished development project can support the local community through the Hive, the Newport Housing Support Hub and 10 new homes.
“Existing buildings, particularly Listed Buildings, are always a challenge to redevelop but the benefits of this scheme in this location were a strong driving force to ensure the building was brought back into beneficial use. Working closely with Gareth Jones, Employer’s Agent, Chris Goodsall Architects and Kingfisher Developments Wales Ltd new life has been brought to this building.
Below are links to Youtube videos showing the journey to “The Hive” and handover of the project
