A DECISION to grant planning permission to build 117 homes in Ystradgynlais has been postponed by Powys councillors so that the scheme can be tweaked.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s planning committee on Thursday, December 2 councillors discussed a planning application by Carmarthen-based Morgan Development Wales Ltd to build 117 houses at land at Bryn-y-Groes Farm.

The application had been called into the planning committee for a decision by Ystradgynlais councillor Huw Williams “due to the depth of feeling” and “history” to the site.

A dozen letters against the plans had been submitted and Ystradgynlais Town Council had also objected to the proposals.

While planning officers recommended approving the plans, the highways department officers had concerns due to a shortfall of 27 parking spaces at the site.

The council’s planning professional lead officer, Peter Morris, told councillors that this would “set an example to Powys” with a “modal shift” away from cars and towards Active Travel with more cycling and walking.

Powys’ highways officer, Steve Jones said: “The main issues for us is we have a parking standard which is applied all across Wales.

“All the pre-application discussion and this submission stated that parking would be provided in line with the standard – only when pressed for detail did the shortfall come to light.”

He explained that the “relaxation” of parking scheme had been justified around the viability of the project for the developer.

Cllr Linda Corfield said: “We have to be careful that we don’t put ideological aims of getting people out of their cars in place of the actual practicality of what is likely to happen.

“In rural areas people need their cars to go to work, so they’re not going to be giving them up.”

Cllr Elwyn Vaughan said: “Bearing in mind that this application has been floating about for years I’m surprised how immature it is at this stage.

“The reality of this site like others in the Swansea valley is that they are built  in order for access to the A4067 and then down the valley to the M4.

“Anybody who romanticises about Active Travel is living in cloud cuckoo land and trying to put a spin on being green.”

Cllr Vaughan also brought up the lack of a Welsh language impact assessment as Ystradgynlais is one of the bastions of the language in Powys.

Cllr Vaughan went on to propose refusing the application as “all these issues” should have been sorted out before coming to committee.

Cllr Kathryn Silk: “I understand that sites have to be viable but it’s not for us to bend over backwards to allow a development we feel uncomfortable with.”

She asked if the plans could be amended in any other way but refusal.

Mr Morris said:  “If parking is the bottom line, the application could be deferred to allow amendments to take place.”

Cllr Vaughan said that he would be willing to change the motion but the “range of concerns” expressed at the meeting should be heeded.

A vote to defer the application was taken with 16 councillors voting in favour and one against.

The plans show the estate would be made up of a mixture of:

  • Nineteen two-bedroom terraced dwellings, of which four would be affordable;
  • Twelve two-bedroom semi-detached dwellings;
  • Twenty-eight three-bedroom semi-detached dwellings;
  • Sixteen three-bedroom bungalows;
  • Twenty-one three-bedroom detached houses;
  • Twenty-one four-bedroom detached houses.

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