Key housing development site in RCT faces removal from council’s plan

Part of a key site proposed for development in Rhondda Cynon Taf (RCT) is set to be removed from the council’s development plan after concerns it could “double the current number of houses” in a village.
Consultation feedback on the council’s preferred strategy for its revised local development plan (LDP) says there were “significant concern and multiple objections” raised with regards to the key site proposed at Llanilltud Fardref/Efail Isaf, as well as one at Llanilid.
In consultation feedback, people said the site does not accord with national policy, contradicts the draft revised LDP and has been refused planning permission previously.
They said there is a flood risk on the site, there is major concern over the loss of ecology and protected species, as well as the loss of open space and effect on the special landscape area (SLA).
There is also concern over access constraints and highway infrastructure, and a lack of services in the area such as education and healthcare. They also said brownfield sites, such as Cwm Coking works, should be developed first.
Other concerns are there is not enough public transport and the development around Efail Isaf alone would “double the current number of houses in that village”.
The Welsh Government also raised a major concern over what is known as key site four at Llanilltud Fardre/Efail Isaf, which it considers to be a red level of concern, saying it is not in general conformity with Future Wales – National Plan.
There were 1,029 representations made about the preferred strategy and
402 of these were made directly about key site four in Llanilltud Faerdref/Efail Isaf.
There were 3,922 representations made about the candidate sites, of which 3,335 or 86% were made about sites in the Llantwit Fardre ward.
The report said: “This matter has been considered in great detail considering all aspects of the preferred strategy and the need to balance growth and much needed new housing against the need to protect where possible, greenfield sites and promote sustainable modes of transport.”
It is therefore proposed to remove the Efail Isaf element of key site four which includes all the land in that key site which sits to the south-east of the Church Village bypass road.
This will include the removal of all the constituent candidate sites from this area from the candidate site process.
But the Ystrad Barwig site will remain as a candidate site, to be considered further as an allocation in the revised LDP, however it will no longer be proposed as a key site but instead as a major potential allocation.
A candidate site is an area of land or buildings which are submitted to the council to be assessed for inclusion in the revised LDP.
The concerns raised about Llanilid were that the amount of development proposed on the site is unrealistic and housing on that scale is not needed, concern over education provision and a loss of open space.
They also included concerns about a lack of infrastructure that does not have the capacity for such an increase in traffic, while a bypass of Llanharan is needed before the development, and major concern over the loss of ecology.
A report to council’s cabinet on Monday, October 21, includes the initial consultation report on the council’s preferred strategy for the revised LDP covering 2022-2037. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​

By BBC LDRS ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​