The 2019 Planning Permission for the Wheat Quarter and South Side allows the development of 643 homes for Metropolitan and Thames Valley. Arranged over 3 phases, 19 buildings and 6 distinct blocks, South Side will provide a diverse housing types and tenures.

The site wider plans encompass the sensitive refurbishment and conversion of the former Shredded Wheat factory buildings, positioned at the heart of the masterplan, incorporating a 62,900 sq. ft production hall which will be transformed to provide high-quality office space, and retained silos, historically used for storing grain, that will become the setting for an art hub and museum.

A new civic building providing community and healthcare facilities, office and retail space sits to the south and has been designed by Louis de Soissons – the architects who designed the original factory back in 1926.

The housing has been inspired by the industrial heritage of the eastern side of Welwyn Garden City, over 30% of which will be affordable. Apartment blocks are aligned to the east and western edges of the masterplan, leaving space in the centre for a new public park connecting the southeast tip of the site to a new public square, creating a significant centerpiece. A community sensory garden is also proposed.

Phase 1 works are almost complete The scheme is one which aims to enrich the town - bringing Ebenezer Howard's garden city vision into the 21st Century.