Decision on controversial business park plans will go to a public inquiry

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A decision on a Welsh council’s handling of plans for a new business park on land that’s been farmed by a family for generations will go to a public inquiry.

Vale of Glamorgan Council’s planning committee voted against approving Legal and General’s plans for a new business park in Rhoose in March, 2023.

The proposed site was located on land at Model Farm which has been worked on by the Jenkins family since the 1930s.

In refusing the application, Vale of Glamorgan Council’s planning committee raised concerns about the impact building a new business park would have on biodiversity, the proposed scale of the development and the impact this would have on the area’s heritage.

The developers appealed to the Welsh Government’s planning arm, Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW), on the grounds of non determination.

That is, they claimed the council failed to give its decision on Model Farm within the appropriate period for an application on planning permission, which is usually about eight weeks.

The appeal will be determined on the basis of a public inquiry which will be held between April 1 and April 4, 2025. There will be a closing statement session on April 8, 2025.

Welsh Government

A decision will eventually be made by Welsh Government ministers after the PEDW planning inspector has produced a report following the public inquiry.

Speaking at a Vale of Glamorgan Council planning committee in May, 2023, one councillor said the business park application was probably the most controversial the local authority had had to deal with regarding climate change under the current local development plan.

At the meeting, where it was confirmed that the council would defend itself against the appeal, Cllr Ian Johnson said: “I believe that that should be tested and I believe the Welsh Government should also be considering their position on this.

“If this is allowed through then I don’t see where the limits come in terms of planning and that climate emergency which they have declared.”

Not all members of the council’s planning committee were in favour of rejecting plans for the business park.

Mitigations

Cllr Eddie Williams said at the time that there were mitigations against the impact on biodiversity and green space within the plans and that the Jenkins would have been given an opportunity to continue farming elsewhere.

Legal and General said it was “very disappointed” by the planning committee’s decision and continued to argue that the scheme would bring many benefits, including thousands of new jobs.

A spokesperson said in May, 2023: “The proposals we put forward are wholly in accordance with the council’s own Local Development Plan and would be delivered within an enterprise zone designated for development by the Welsh Government.

“Our plans will significantly improve biodiversity at the site, extending Porthkerry Country Park by approximately 48 hectares.

“They also include delivering an additional 10 hectares of new green space, including more than six hectares of new woodland and scrub planting.”