Plans submitted for large-scale housing development and primary school

Lewis Smith, local democracy reporter

Plans have been submitted for a large-scale housing development and primary school.

Eventually, 804 houses could be built at a site east of Pencoed on land adjoining the existing Bridgend College’s Pencoed campus, if given the go-ahead.

It is the latest step forward for the plans after an outline planning application was handed in to the council in April 2025.

Environmental impacts

This followed an environmental scoping report to set out what environmental impacts would first need to be looked at with the plans, as well as a public consultation which took place in 2024.

The report read: “The layout provides 804 homes in a mix of 1, 2, 3, and 4-bed homes with a mix of apartments, terraces, semi-detached, and detached properties.

“This number is lower than the policy allocation for the site due to the incorporation of significant areas for sustainable drainage systems and the
preservation of mature vegetation, which are essential elements of the development’s sustainability and character.”

It adds that alongside the housing, of which up to 20% could be set aside for use as affordable housing, there could also be the creation of a new primary school as well as commercial and community facilities.

Strategic site

The site is currently set aside as part of Bridgend Council’s Local Development Plan as a “strategic site for housing”.

It comes after approved plans in 2023 for the creation of a new £70 million campus for Bridgend College, based in Bridgend town centre on the site of a former police station and car park at Cheapside.

A number of works to prepare for this major project, including the demolition of the police station have have already begun.