Greenmeadow was designated as a residential area in the 1951 Master Plan for Cwmbran New Town to cover an area of 177 acres (72 hectares) to the west of the Town Centre. A steeply sloping area, it contained the Dowlais Brook with Greenmeadow and Graig-Fawr Woods and was described in the Masterplan as ‘attractive’ and ‘a delightful area with fine sites overlooking the town’. There was no existing residential development in the neighbourhood other than Greenmeadow Farm, which was scheduled for preservation. Consequently, the neighbourhood was designated as suitable for low density new housing with a proposed maximum population of 3,600.

Survey for the neighbourhood started in 1953, with construction of the first phase of building starting in the early 1960s.The planning for the neighbourhood, detirmined by the then Cwmbran Development Corporation Cheif Architect, Gordon Redfern, was to be on the 'Radburn Principle' of segregation of foot and vehicular traffic. Development consisted of a mixture of houses, maisonettes and 'pensioners-cottages', all laid out to conform to Parker Morris standards. The Redfern designed properties display his preference for flat or shallow mono-pitch rooflines and innovative architectural forms. While the main day-to-day shopping needs for the residents of Greenmeadow were provided by the Fairwater Shopping Centre (NPRN 422745), a small pantry shop was built at Byways, while community needs were provided by the 'Threepenny Bit' community hall (NPRN 701501) and the Golden Harvest Public House (now converted to a Tesco Express). The Primary School was completed 1974-75. 

The historic Greenmeadow Farm (NPRN 36999) was retained within the neighbourhood and later developed as a community farm.

S Fielding March 2020

ref: Cwmbran New Town: An Urban Characteristaion Study