Plans for affordable homes approved despite ‘extensive’ concerns

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

A “100% affordable” housing estate will be built in a north Wales village despite “extensive” concerns about road safety.

Housing association Adra say the 17 homes affordable houses planned at Llanrug in Gwynedd would provide an “excellent opportunity” for high quality homes to “genuinely meet local housing needs”.

The association had amended previous plans to meet local objections, and the development on land off Ffordd Glanffynnon was approved by Cyngor Gwynedd at a planning meeting on Monday (2 March).

Officers agreed with conditions, including an agreement for a £10,000 open space/play contribution.

Planning officer Gwawr Hughes said the full application included creation of new vehicular access and  internal access road and would see closure of two existing agricultural access points, the creation of a new access to serve a new substation, extension works to Ffordd Glanffynnon, with landscaping, drainage and other associated works.

The proposition was for five two bedroom two-storey houses, four two bedroom bungalows, six three bedroom two-storey houses, one four bedroom bungalow and a five bedroom two-storey house.

The 100% affordable project would see a mix of social and intermediate rented tenures with homes of  “a simple and plain design”.

The proposal included a three metre wide easement between the development and a watercourse, along the eastern boundary, creation of an ecological corridor in the south-eastern corner and  a water retention basin in the north and south corner.

A new access adjacent to an unclassified county road would also serve the new estate, and changing the location of the public footpath was not proposed.

The officer said the development would “not have a significant visual impact”, was in keeping with the area, and was “not likely to have significant impact on the amenity of local  residents”.

However “extensive correspondence had been received from local residents”.

Objections included “road safety, increased traffic and traffic volume during certain times, existing roads being dangerous and narrow, substandard junction, on-road parking, emergency vehicle access”, “pedestrian safety and impact on the public footpath”.

Issues had also included “impact on the school, the sewerage and flooding, and visual  impact.

Amended plans had later been received to “address concerns” including improving safety and widening the turn, and the transportation unit was “satisfied”.

Ms Hughes said: “Whilst we acknowledge the objections received over pedestrian and road safety, parking and increased traffic the proposal was considered acceptable, on policy terms.”

A public speaker for the applicants Elliw Owen said some 400 families had expressed an interest in the ADRA homes.

Some 42 were eligible having a proven housing need and a five year connection to the community council area.

A “successful opening evening” had also seen 50 people put their names down, she added.

The developers, she said, had “taken account of local safety concerns”.

“The homes will provide modern energy efficient homes which offer long term stability and will  contribute to the sustainability of the local community,” the speaker added.

Welsh speakers

The homes could “transform the lives of local residents” she said and by adopting a local lettings policy, the homes “will prioritise local households and likely to go to Welsh speakers,” she said.

Councillor Beca Brown supported the scheme and was glad to think of local people able to get “a safe, warm and suitable home”.

“Being without a suitable home places so much strain on people and hearing their stories can be heart breaking.  There is certainly a demand for homes in Llanrug”.

She added that many of the issues raised, such as traffic, tight corners, pressures on drainage had been”addressed” and  she welcomed  the safe passage to the school.