Hundreds more homes approved as major development progresses

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

It’s been nearly a decade since plans for 2,000 homes, a new school and a new town centre in part of south Wales were given the overall green light. Now, progress continues on what could be a game-changing development for the area.

On a former opencast coal mining site in the west of Rhondda Cynon Taf, on the outskirts of Llanharan and not far from the Bridgend county border, a hybrid development is on its way to Llanilid including 1,850 homes, a school and a new mixed use area.

Since 2016, different phases of the project have been individually signed off by councillors, with phases five, six, seven and eight of the development, which include 543 homes, most recently approved by councillors.

The council has included the site as one of its “strategic sites” in its local development plan. The original hybrid application was submitted in 2010 looking for planning permission for a large scale development on site which incorporates part of the former Llanilid open cast coal site together with land to the north of the A473.

The whole site has an area of 75.35 hectares, of which around 50 hectares can be developed.

The first phase for 216 new homes was approved in April, 2019, and construction works on that first phase of the development are nearly finished.

The second phase for 421 homes was approved in May, 2021, and construction works on that second phase of the development have started.

The third phase (covering both phases three and four) for 494 homes was approved in  December, 2021, and construction works on this have started.

The primary school was given planning approval in November, 2023, and site clearance works on that phase of development are underway based on the developer discharging all relevant planning conditions and gaining the necessary separate dormouse and great crested newt licences from Natural Resources Wales (NRW).

There were delays following the discovery of a badger sett on site, but
NRW recently issued the relevant licence and clearance works have restarted with an appropriate new badger sett being provided within the woodland area to the east of the school site.

It is expected that the whole school site will be cleared and a development plateau created by the spring of 2026.

No further phases have been approved so far but it is expected that the wider site will be developed through 10 phases including eight residential phases, a primary school phase, and a mixed use area/town centre phase which is still under consideration.

Demand

To meet the demand for school places in future years, the plan is to establish a new Welsh medium primary school for three to 11-year-olds as part of the Llanilid housing development and change Dolau Primary School from dual language to English medium.

The plan is for the new Welsh medium primary school to open no later than the 2027 academic year with a capacity for 480 statutory school age pupils plus 60 for nursery age pupils.

Dolau Primary School will become an English medium primary school at the same time with places increased to 488 plus 63 nursery spaces.

Taking a look at the latest approval covering 543 homes and being classed as stages 5-8, the northern element of phase five includes 80 homes made up of 56 four-bedroom homes and 24 five-bedroom homes with each set to be sold on the open market.

The southern part of phase five includes 99 homes made up of four one-bedroom homes, 39 two-bedroom homes, 39 three-bedroom homes and 17
four-bedroom homes.

This phase would see 80 units offered for sale on the open market and 19 to be classed as affordable units of accommodation.

Affordable accommodation 

Phase six is made up of 150 homes made up of four one-bedroom dwellings, 51 two-bedroom homes, 67 three-bedroom homes, and 28 four-bedroom home.

This phase will see 124 units offered for sale on the open market and 26 to be classed as affordable units of accommodation.

Phase seven includes 82 homes made up of 29 two-bedroom homes, 39  three-bedroom homes and 14 four-bedroom homes.

This phase will see 63 units offered for sale on the open market and 19 to be classed as affordable units of accommodation.

And phase eight includes 132 homes with four one-bedroom homes, 47  two-bedroom homes, 57 three-bedroom homes and 24 four-bedroom
homes.

Of these, 108 will be offered for sale on the open market and 24 will be classed as affordable units of accommodation

As we await more progress on some elements of the scheme, it’s clear much of the housing element is underway or about to get underway.

The new school also appears to be very much on the horizon and the proposals for the new town centre element of the scheme will complete the package of what looks to be one of the most significant mixed developments in south Wales in recent times.