Residents living in Welsh hamlet fear construction company’s plans will ruin the historical setting

Residents living in a Welsh hamlet fear a construction company’s plans to build on a farming field will spoil their views, cause traffic issues and ruin the historical setting.

Residents living at Rhydwen Farm Mews, Rhyl, which comprises nine cottages on the edge of the seaside town, are opposing Anwyl Construction’s proposals for the agricultural field.

The field is currently listed as a candidate for construction included in Denbighshire County Council’s latest Local Development Plan (LDP).

The “deposit plan” is currently being developed in line with the latest national policies, including sourcing evidence whilst considering “strategy, policies, and land allocations” for the Replacement LDP 2018 to 2033.

But the neighbours have now formed a residents’ group – the Rhydwen Farm Management Group – and are opposing the plans.

The residents say they are worried about noise, flooding, pollution, a Grade II listed farmhouse built in the 1600s, the loss of their views, traffic, and general disturbance.

The group are also concerned about the strain put on the B5119 Dyserth Road, known as the “dizzy bends”, which some consider to be a dangerous road.

Grandmother Susan Lee, 74, has lived at the hamlet for five years with her husband Cameron. “I don’t want this on the field because it would subsume a Grade Two listed farmhouse that was built in the 1600s. You cannot build in front of a Grade Two listed building,” she said.

“It is also on a historic setting, and on our property, we have a pond that has got great crested newts. But also, the dizzy bends have seen so many horrible accidents.

“That will mean introducing so much traffic. There will be extra traffic on the bends, what with the new Aberkinsey (Parc Aberkinsey development) that they say they are going to develop at the bottom of the bends near Meliden.

“At the bottom of the field, when we have really bad rain, it develops like a pond. The water goes out onto the dizzy bends.”

She added: “At the moment the field is used by farmers who have cows and sheep on it. In the winter the animals aren’t there, but as soon as spring comes the animals come and graze on it. It is just dreadful that these very important issues are not being accounted for.”

Peter McMullen also lives at Rhydwen Farm Mews and is chairman of the residents’ group. “I feel frustrated, really,” he said. “I’m annoyed because DCC are going against their own strategy, saying listed building status should mostly be protected, not be subsumed.”

He added: “We don’t want it to go through to planning. It would mean excessive traffic on the dizzy bends, which are notorious. It would increase pollution around us because 50 houses leads to 100 cars these days.”

Anwyl and Denbighshire County Council declined to comment.