Plans for affordable homes next to Ikea

MORE than 100 affordable homes could be built in a Cardiff suburb.

Cardiff council has recommended plans for 101 homes on land west of Clive Lane in Grangetown, next to the Ikea store, for approval.

The site is currently redundant railway land.

Approval has previously been given for a development of 116 houses and apartments for the same site in August 2016.

The application from Pegasus Developments was granted in November 2016.

Now the development has downsized to 101 homes by the same developer, designed by Pentan Architects.

There have been some changes since the 2016 plans.

The development would now all be affordable homes in a mix of one and two-bedroom apartments in three-storey blocks and two, three and four-bedroom terrace and semi-detached houses, all in red/brown brick and dark grey timber-effect cladding.

Two of the apartment blocks would be flat-roofed, with a third having a pitched roof and projecting gables to “form a focal point on arrival”.

There will also be two areas of open space, secure cycle parking and car parking spaces.

More trees and shrubs will also be planted to “create an aesthetically-pleasing environment”.

There were concerns about pedestrian access onto the site, especially for unaccompanied children.

One council officer said that “improvements to highway crossing points would be highly beneficial” due to the “high levels of traffic and large number of busy junctions”.

Neighbours also raised concerns about “security issues”, saying the development would pose a risk to the safety of residents living nearby, as well as invading their privacy.

There were also concerns about fly-tipping.

Requests for financial contributions from the developer have been made including £266,955 towards education, £157,250 towards the improvement of Grange Gardens, The Marl and/or Grangemoor Park.

The planning committee meets on Thursday at 10am.