Nearly 200 object to 20-home plan as refusal recommended

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Nearly 200 people have objected to proposals for 20 new homes to be built in south Wales.

The proposed development on land at Ffordd Y Bedol in Coed-y-Cwm is due to go before Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT)’s planning committee on Thursday, March 19.

It has been submitted on behalf of the registered social landlord Hafod Housing and would provide 20 affordable residential units.

It would include six two-bed homes, five three-bed homes, one two-bed bungalow, and eight one-bed flats.

Each home would have two off-street car parking spaces located to either their front or side with private amenity space being located to the rear.

The one-bed flats would each have one off-street car parking space with shared amenity spaces and facilities available for bin and bike storage.

The most north-eastern corner of the site would be reserved for an attenuation basin and surrounding pedestrian pathway with a number of public benches.

It is intended that this would become an area of public open space for both existing and future residents and a “green corridor” would also be kept.

The site would be accessed from the adopted highway at Ffordd y Bedol to the south with a new estate road and turning facility being constructed through the centre of the site.

The application has gone out to public consultation a total of four times as a result of amended plans and documents being submitted during the course of the application.

A total of 360 letters of objection from a total of 182 residents have been sent to the council.

They’ve raised concerns about highways and parking, character and appearance, residential amenity and privacy, green space, biodiversity and trees, drainage, sewerage and odour issues, flooding, sustainability, a public right of way, infrastructure and services, whether there is the need for the development and the tenure, crime and safety, previous refusals, construction noise and disturbance, procedural issues, potential other development and uses, the use of other sites, house values, sales and council tax, and discrepancies with the application.

Letters of objection have also been received from Councillor Paula Evans, Councillor Amanda Ellis, and Ynysybwl and Coed-y-Cwm Community Council.

There was one letter of support which says there is a desperate need for affordable housing in the area, the development would not have a detrimental impact on the area providing that sewerage recommendations are met, the site is not currently used by the community other than by dog walkers, and that the site is private land, overgrown, and covered in litter and dog mess.

Councillor Mike Powell requested the matter goes before committee in order to consider the impact of the proposed development on highway safety and the environment.

Planning officers have recommended it be turned down.

They said: “Although the application site is located within defined settlement
limits and would provide for much needed affordable housing in the area there
is insufficient capacity within the proposed site layout to be able to fully
mitigate for habitat and species loss.

“There is also no realistic capacity to evidence biodiversity betterment and insufficient evidence has been provided to demonstrate how the three to one tree replacement is to be met within the proposal.”