Council approves changes to housing estate built at odds with planning permission

Twm Owen, Local Democracy Reporter

A housing estate that wasn’t built in line with conditions of its planning permission has now been granted approval.

Residents had raised concerns as long ago as 2023 their new build homes weren’t put up in accordance with approved plans, prompting a council investigation.

As a result an application for approval for various changes, including the orientation of some homes, new drainage and the widening of some roadways and changes related to walls built higher than expected as well as extending pavements was put before councillors in October.

Councillors were also shown photographs of the 164 home estate including where steps from a house led directly on to the estate road while residents had complained about the location of electricity substations in the immediate view of some houses.

Reform UK Councillor Alan Slade, whose Llantarnam ward in Cwmbran includes the Abbey Wood development, said at that meeting residents had been “mis sold” their homes due to them being at odds with planning approvals granted in 2018 and 2021.

No councillors were willing to back Cllr Slade’s bid to reject the application to vary the conditions in October but instead agreed to a site visit which took place at the end of the month.

Cllr Slade told the Tuesday, November 10 planning committee: “The site visit was, I’m sure you’d agree, an eye-opener and confirmed to me it is unacceptable from a planning perspective.”

He spoke as a local member as he said his previous comments meant he was considered to have a pre-determined view of the application but urged the committee to refuse it.

He also questioned the council’s decision to paint double yellow lines on part of the site in response to traffic concerns as he said the council’s policy is they will only be enforceable once the estate road has been adopted by the council, which it has agreed to do and it will own the gullies which form part of the new drainage.

“The double yellow lines will only be enforceable one the site has been adopted and it will take at least 12 months from completion,” said Cllr Slade.

Residents had also raised objection that the final 40 houses could be sold to housing association Hedyn. Planning officer Justin Jones told the committee as long as a property is used as a main residence ownership isn’t a material planning consideration while complaints about the stability of the walls, that are taller than approved plans, are assessed by building control regulations.

Brian Reed, who lives on the estate, said his objection wasn’t to social housing but was about “transparency.”

He said residents had no confidence in the developers and questioned why the council hadn’t enforced its original conditions.

Mr Reed told the committee: “This is not simply about changes it is more about safety and accountability.”

The meeting was also told the estate, developed in three phases, faced disruption due to the bankruptcy of the original developers Enzo Homes but Mr Jones said council officers had worked to draw up new conditions which he said will be enforceable.

He also said action hadn’t been taken as it was considered the development could be acceptable under planning policy.

Civil matters

Upper Cwmbran Labour member Steve Evans said many of the issues raised appeared to be civil matters between residents and the developer while Llanfrechfa and Ponthir councillor Karl Gauden said the committee should approve the application.

The Labour member said the site visit was a benefit “such as seeing the man who couldn’t open his car door as his drive wasn’t wide enough” but warned refusing an application officers had recommended for approval would risk costs being awarded against the council at an appeal.

Outstanding work is due to be completed by January 2027 but concerns were raised that work on a park, due to be completed by December, is still yet to begin.

The committee voted to approve the application with only Pontypool independent member Mark Jones voting against.