TV presenter and residents object to 618-home plan

PEOPLE are putting in their final objections against plans for more than 600 homes to be built on green space in Caerphilly.

Objections are being submitted to plans for 618 homes to be built at Gwern Y Dormen in the St James ward of the county.

As well as homes, it includes play space and pedestrian and cycle networks.

The plans, by PMG Limited and Persimmon Homes, would see homes built on open land contained by a former railway.

In the centre of the site is a farmhouse, not owned by the applicant.

The new homes would be built in three phases and the new public park in the second phase.

The houses would be either two, three or four bedroom and there would be some linked, some semi-detached and some detached homes. Some will have garages and others will have designated parking spaces.

They will be up to three storeys in height.

Access would be by the Lansbury Link Road and, in future, buses would be able to make their way round the site.

The developer says it wants to make sure there are links to the town centre and to preserve “existing habitat features”.

Public sessions have already taken place and concerns raised include the loss of open space, impact on local species and trees.

Residents have also said they have concerns about the local surgery and schools already being full.

Other worries are about noise, traffic and mess during construction.

Nature TV presenter Iolo Williams is opposing the plans.

He said: “It’s a beautiful area and one of the areas we have that hasn’t been improved or worked on for probably 100 years.

“There’s so few places left like this in the whole of Wales”.

He added there are a number of species living there which should be protected.

“It doesn’t quite reach the level needed for site of scientific interest, it’s just below, but it’s a hugely important space for wildlife. Local people think this is an important green space and we have got to have this area.”

The site is a number of fields and developers say it is “recognised by Caerphilly County Borough Council as integral to the ongoing housing delivery programme as outlined in the emerging LDP”.

“To destroy this would be idiotic especially when you look at the background and the fact that Caerphilly doesn’t need that many homes anyway.”

There was mining at the Gwern y Domen Colliery and there is also evidence of quarrying at the site.

The plans can be viewed on the Caerphilly council’s website.