Housing proposal turned down amid concerns over river pollution

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Detailed plans for a housing development in a village have been rejected by planners due to the risk it could pollute a key river.

In December 2023, Rob Jenkins lodged a reserved matters planning application with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority planners to build five detached houses on land east of Oakview, Pencelli, which lies between Brecon and Talybont-on-Usk.

The principle of developing the site had already been agreed by NPA planners when outline planning permission was approved on December 7, 2020.

The application, which set out the layout, scale and appearance of the homes, as well as means of access and landscaping, had to be submitted ahead of a three-year deadline.

Missing this deadline would have seen the outline permission expire.

Proposals showed that two of the houses would have two bedrooms, two would have three bedrooms and one would have four bedrooms.

One of the houses would be classed as an “affordable” home.

Documents lodged with the application show that the applicant understood the phosphates issue affecting the River Usk and explored ways to address it.

The problem has stifled development in the area in recent years and was under review by Welsh Government environment body Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

Planning agent Andrew Bevan of AB Planning said the applicant had “agreed to co-operate” with the use of new guidance on phosphates, which could see the proposal “adjusted”.

However, Mr Bevan was told by Bannau Brycheiniog that the proposal in its current form would be refused, and the applicant was invited to withdraw the application due to issues with wastewater.

The authority said it was “aware” that Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water has some “plans afoot” for the Pencelli Wastewater Treatment Works.

But it added that placing a condition on any approval requiring homes to wait until the wastewater works are upgraded and able to cope with additional development could not be done in this case.

Bannau Brycheiniog planners also pointed out that the nearby Brecon and Monmouthshire Canal could pose an additional constraint in allowing the site to be connected to the treatment works.

BBNPA head of development management Davina Powell said: “We have tried to work constructively and have allowed a significant extension of time to the application deadlines, recognising this is an allocated site; however, there comes a time when there is a need to draw a line and bring things to a conclusion.”

She added that the authority was “committed” to continuing talks with Dŵr Cymru on the matter and would be happy to meet the applicant and agent in future to discuss a potential “fresh application”.

In her formal report on the application, senior planning officer Lisa Williams said: “The development at the present time cannot be served by an appropriate foul drainage solution which has enabled the authority to carry out the necessary habitats regulation appropriate assessment to conclude no likely significant effect in the River Usk SAC (Special Area of Conservation).

“Therefore, the authority concludes that the development is contrary to BBNPA and PPW (Planning Policy Wales) policies.

“The application is therefore recommended for refusal.”