Appeal Lodged After Refusal of Access Changes for Tredegar Bungalow Sparks Controversy Over Lane Safety Concerns

AN appeal has been lodged with Welsh Government planning inspectors following a refusal by Blaenau Gwent planners to allow access changes for a bungalow in Tredegar.
Back in January the Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Planning committee discussed a planning application by Crieg Jones (correct spelling) for plot two of Springfield Cottage, Queen Victoria Street.
Planning permission for a three bedroom bungalow and vehicle access going through plot one being approved in March 2022 – but the owner of plot one had refused to allow this access to be used, which led to the new application being submitted.
Councillors were advised to refuse the application by planning officers.
This recommendation was due to the council’s Highways Authority objecting to the proposal that access would come over the rear lane from Marian Close.
Highways officers had said that the lane’s narrowness gave pedestrian’s “limited opportunities” to get out of the way of oncoming vehicles.
The development is the second of two housing plots that had been formed following the demolition of three houses and their garages back in 2018.
Planning agent Adrian Drew explained: “This is an appeal against the local authority for the refusal of an upgraded vehicle access to the rear of the new bungalow.”
He explained that the application had been made due to “legal confusion” over the ownership of the original access from plot one.
Mr Drew argued that other property owners that live further down the lane use it to access the main road.
Mr Drew said: “Planning was approved for these properties in the last eight years, their only access is to use the upper part of the rear lane.”
He said that these new builds were approved without the need of improving the lane being brought up.
Mr Drew said:  “Considering this we believe that a precedent has been set with allowing the new builds to have this single lane access to the same quality.
“This is compounded by the fact that the access point has been in this location for many years and has served the demolished buildings.”
Mr Drew maintains that due to three buildings being demolished and replaced by two, means that the access lane will be used less.
Mr Drew said: “Due to the isolation of this access lane it is unlikely that (the number of) pedestrians would increase due to the parking arrangement being considered – a very small amount of pedestrians would ever take this route.” ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​