Portable homes development on former school site will accommodate homeless people

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

Portable homes that were initially built without planning permission will accommodate homeless people as well as Ukrainian refugees.

The development, consisting of 90 portable housing units, on land formerly occupied by Eagleswell Primary School in Llantiwt Major was allowed to go ahead through what is known as permitted development rights.

It is a planning lever that’s used by councils in an emergency situation, like the need to house refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine, but full planning permission is required within 12 months of construction starting.

A number of people are opposed to the design and layout of the units, with one woman who lives just metres away calling it a “monstrosity”, and the manner in which it was initially allowed to go ahead.

They found out recently that they will have to continue living with the scheme for five more years after Vale of Glamorgan Council’s planning committee granted permission for the site to remain in place.

Housing list

Vale of Glamorgan Council recently announced that the site will also provide accommodation for people on its housing waiting list, with the first residents set to move in later this summer.

The council’s statement reads: “Originally, it was anticipated that the new temporary homes would be used exclusively for Ukrainian refugees.

“However, as time has passed it now appears the site will have extra capacity.

“The provision of temporary homes at this site is in line with the Council’s commitment to assist those who have suffered forced displacement as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and also reflects an urgent need to increase the availability of homes at a time when there is a significant shortage of housing and a growing waiting list and increasing levels of homelessness.

“The use of the site will be important in easing the pressure for Council housing and will also represent a far more dignified solution than the use of substantially more expensive and cramped temporary hotel accommodation.”

The total cost of the development is £24 million, funded jointly by the council and the Welsh Government.

Vale of Glamorgan Council said much of that amount is recoverable as the units are reusable and have a 60-year lifespan.

Residents who back on to the site say their properties are within 10m of it and that they can see into the portable homes from upstairs windows.

Fencing

Boundary fencing is being installed and opaque glazing is being used to help address some of these concerns. A plan to remove the units to alternative sites will also be submitted to the planning committee within 12 months.

However, this has not reassured a number of residents who are still unhappy with the situation.

On the dismantling of the units, Vale of Glamorgan Council added: “This work is to begin 18-months before the expiry of the five-year planning permission, with the units nearest to neighbouring residential properties being removed first to reflect the concerns of neighbouring residents.”

The Eagleswell planning dispute was hijacked by a group associated with the far right last year, with demonstrators from across Wales and the UK descending on Llantwit Major on March 25, 2023 to protest against the housing of refugees.

Tensions ran high in the town that day as counter-protesters also turned up in support of refugees. There was a heavy police presence and two arrests were made.

Residents who we spoke to in Llantwit Major about the site said the right wing demonstrators do not represent their views and that they are not opposed to housing refugees.

Some said they wouldn’t have minded if the former school land was used for a housing estate.

However, the design of the buildings, their proximity to existing homes and the lack of consultation when they were first constructed are major concerns for them.