Plan for housing near village rejected
A THIRD major housing development to be refused in the Llantwit Fardre area means more than 1,000 houses have now been rejected.
Plans for 34 affordable houses on land north of the A473, Heol Creigiau, have been turned down by Welsh Government
It means applications at Ystradbarwig (Fletcher’s) Farm, Cwm Isaf Farm and this application have now all been refused – stopping a possible 1,000 or more houses being built.
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s (RCT’s) planning and development committee approved the application in October 2019 and the application was then “called-in” to the planning inspector.
The planning inspector Janine Townsley recommended the application should be approved but the Welsh Government has now overruled her and decided to reject it.
In her reasons for recommending approval the inspector said the scheme would provide a development of affordable dwellings, which, in an area occupied generally by private open market homes, would create a more balanced and mixed community that responds to local demand and would boost RCT’s supply of housing which falls well short of the Local Development Plan (LDP) target.
She also said the construction phase of the scheme would create jobs and that the site is well located in terms of a sustainable location, although she recognised the plan was in breach of the LDP as it is outside the settlement boundary but she said the supply of affordable housing outweighed this.
However, in a letter to the planning agent for Hafod Housing Association, the minister for housing and local government Julie James points to the fact that the development lies outside the settlement boundary and so goes against planning policy.
The LDP includes exceptions for affordable housing outside settlement boundaries if the development cannot be accommodated within the defined settlement boundaries, the site does not exceed 30 houses or one hectare, the proposed development is solely for the provision of affordable housing or the proposed development is not within a Green Wedge, Special Landscape Area or within, near or adjacent to an internationally, nationally or locally designated nature conservation site.