Decision expected on plans for 30 flats at south Wales wildlife sanctuary

A decision is set to be made on plans for 30 flats at a wildlife sanctuary in the South Wales Valleys which first came before councillors 18 years ago.

An application for the flats at Tonyrefail and Rhondda Wildlife Sanctuary in Gilfach Road, Tonyrefail, is due to go before the council’s planning committee on Thursday, August 14.

The application was originally reported to a meeting of the former Taf Area development control committee on July 12, 2007, with a recommendation it be refused for planning policy reasons in force at that time and for highway safety reasons.

Negotiation

The matter was deferred for a site visit which took place in August 2007 and it went back to committee in September 2007, when members decided to defer the application to allow for further negotiation with the applicant towards an appropriate design solution and to address the highway issue.

The planning report said after that, little progress was made and the application was placed in “abeyance” (temporarily suspended) by the case officer at that time at the request of the applicant pending the delivery of the county borough-wide local development plan (LDP).

The LDP changed the status of the site to an allocation for housing development as a part of the wider Trane Farm Allocation.

But difficulties continued in bringing the site forward due to the need to ensure the wider allocation would not be prejudiced by the development of this site.

The planning report said as the Trane Farm planning application has now been refused, it is appropriate to bring this application to a decision.

Sewage

There have also been further difficulties and delay in addressing the concerns
of Dwr Cymru/Welsh Water with regard to the adequacy of the sewage system in the area and its capacity to accommodate the proposed development but the report said these issues have also been resolved.

The report advises members of the committee that following the refusal of the Trane Farm planning application, this application has been revised to seek consent for 30 flats with the original submission including 24 flats and six dwellings.

The removal of the dwellings was required as access was originally proposed from the north via Trane Farm, which is no longer an option.

Council officers are recommending the plans for approval, saying: “The principle of the proposed development is considered acceptable as the site forms part of a larger housing allocation under the current LDP.

“The proposals will not prejudice the delivery of the remainder of the
allocation.

“The proposals are considered acceptable in respect of all other material
particulars and will make a valued contribution towards addressing the current
housing land supply shortage within the county borough.”

The planning report said matters relating to appearance, landscaping, layout and scale have been reserved for future consideration so it is only the principle of residential development on this land and the details of access to the site to be considered at the moment.

The plans show the 30 flats would be arranged in five blocks and accessed via a spine road directly from a junction with Gilfach Road.

The application relates to an almost rectangular-shaped area of land measuring 190 metres by 65 metres between Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch.

The application site fronts onto the B4278 Gilfach Road and to the north and
north-east is open countryside.

Construction 

To the west of the application site is a recently completed bungalow set and to the east is an affordable housing development comprising 12 flats at an advanced stage of construction.

The site is set on an incline from north to south and currently houses a wildlife sanctuary and associated dwelling with a narrow access road along the western boundary, the report said.

The site is overgrown and largely reverted to nature in its entirety with the exception of the house and its immediate curtilage, it added.

The application has been re-advertised and no observations or objections have been received, the planning report said.

During the  initial consultation, when the application was first submitted, one objection was received from the Tonyrefail Community Council on the basis the site was green belt and its development would lead to potential coalescence of Tonyrefail and Gilfach Goch.