Developers given more time to submit detailed plans for £150 million rail testing facility

Elgan Hearn, local democracy reporter

More time will be given to allow developers of a £150 million rail testing facility to produce detailed plans for the scheme.

In April, The Global Centre of Rail Excellence (GCRE) lodged a non-material amendment planning application with Powys County Council so that it can extend the three-year time limit to submit a reserved matter planning application for the development at the Nant Helen opencast coal mine near Ystradgynlais.

Planning agent for GCRE, Fairhurst said: “The principal aim of this non-material amendment application is to allow the applicant additional time to submit all reserved matters whilst not increasing the overall time limit of implementing the consent.”

The overall time limit is five years.

Economic benefits

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning committee on July 29, 2021, councillors approved the principle of the £150 million train testing centre as they believed the economic benefit outweighed all other concerns.

The development which spans the former Nant Helen opencast site and Onllwyn Washery will include two electrified test loops, one will be a 4.35 mile high speed rolling stock track with a maximum speed of around 110 mph with a potential to go up to 125 mph.

Other facilities will include a dual-platform test environment, rolling stock storage and maintenance facilities, operations room, staff accommodation and connections to the main line.

There will also be visitor and conference facilities, a business park, and a hotel.

The GCRE venture was set up in 2021 with a commitment of £50 million from the Welsh Government.

The UK Government has provided £20 million and a further £7.4 million comes from Innovate UK for Research and Development.

The project was expected to be fully operational by 2025, bringing a potential 300 jobs for the area.

Tests

The council’s Development management team leader Gemma Bufton explained that the tweaks would need to be considered against four “key tests.”

Ms Bufton said: “As the proposal relates to the wording of the conditions, the local planning authority consider that no third party or body would be disadvantaged and there would be no visual amendments to the scheme.

“The amendments still ensure that development is commenced within five years from the date of the outline consent and the proposal does not conflict with national or the local development plan.”

Due to this Ms Bufton recommended approving the scheme.

As the site crosses local authority boundaries, an identical planning application will also need to be approved by Neath Port Talbot council.