Plans submitted for first phase of Valleys estate regeneration

Anthony Lewis, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans for the first phase of the regeneration of a Valleys estate which include more than 100 new homes have been submitted.

An application has been submitted by housing association Trivallis for 109 new homes in Penrhys, as the first stage of the Penhrys village masterplan and will kickstart the regeneration of the village.

The planning statement submitted by The Urbanists Ltd on behalf of Trivallis says further phases of housing-led regeneration of the village will be set by a future masterplan for the village which has the potential to deliver more 800-new homes, new community uses, localised retail and commercial uses, significant new green infrastructure, and highway and active travel upgrades.

Penrhys primary school is also currently being redeveloped by Rhondda Cynon Taf Council and as part of the proposals there is scope to extend the redevelopment in phases to serve a growing village, the statement says.

The 109 homes as part of this application will be a combination of two-to-four-bedroom homes and a single apartment block

The development proposes 63 market homes and 46 affordable units.

The 109 homes are split between 92 homes and 17 apartments.

The application  is located to the northwest within the larger development area.

Penrhys was built between 1966 and 1969 as a new modern council housing development.

When it was officially opened in 1968 it consisted of 951 houses.

It had a district heating system where water was heated in a central coal-fired boiler and a network of insulated pipes served each house with space heating
and hot water with the cost included in the rent.

This proved very expensive following the oil crisis of 1973 and the village became unviable for residents who did not have access to the state benefits, which paid housing costs, and resulted in many residents leaving the estate.

There was an attempt to rejuvenate the village in the 1980 with houses refurbished and environmental improvements made throughout the
community but this had limited success as new occupants could not be found in sufficient number to move to the village and many of the newly-refurbished houses remained vacant.

The planning statement says the housing management policy also contributed to social issues over this time and by the 1990s the local authority had begun a relocation programme for Penrhys with many buildings demolished once the
tenants had been relocated.

There are now approximately 300 properties remaining in the village, including some empty properties, with around 550 residents.

Access to the first phase of development will remain from Penrhys Road.

The proposals are associated with the wider development to improve the roundabout but this does not form part of the current proposals.

Access to the area will be from a series of access routes most of which will be from Heol Pendyrus, which will be kept in its current alignment but upgraded in key sections to reduce vehicle speeds.

All existing, improved, and proposed junctions within this phase will include provision for active travel, mainly in the form of 1.5m footways.

Cycling can be accommodated on-road within the development, the statement says.

An active travel route is proposed to connect the north of Heol Pendyrus to the southernmost area of this stage.

This application will include one parking space per unit for one- and two-bedroom properties and two spaces per unit for three-bedroom properties and four-bedroom properties with six or seven people.

One long-stay cycle parking stand is needed per apartment, the statement says.

No specific local requirement is set for cycle parking standards for houses but it is assumed most bicycle storage is provided within dedicated garages.

Trivallis is also set to provide electric bikes for rent and a car-sharing scheme in the south of the village.

Executive director of development at Trivallis Louise Attwood said: “Over the last six months we’ve worked closely with experts in community safety, highways, and ecology to refine the planning application and make sure what we’re proposing is the best it can be for the current and future residents of Penrhys.

“Working together with these partners has helped us focus on how the design of the new village can best support people to thrive. We’re really excited about the final plans and the positive difference they could make for the community.”

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