Former Whitemill Welsh Water compound housing plan rejected

Monmouthshire County Council had already rejected Mike Gibbs’ plan to convert a prefabricated, metal clad industrial workshop at the former Whitemill Welsh Water works to two semi-detached homes, as well as build a large, detached dwelling on the northern part of the site in a remote area north of Shirenewton and Mynydd Bach. 

The homes would have had a modern design and be finished with timber and metal cladding. 

Planning officers refused to grant permission in September last year prompting Mr Gibbs to appeal to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales arguing though the site is in the open countryside it is previously developed land and a “sustainable location” close to a number of settlements, services, and facilities which can be accessed by a range of different transport. 

But planning inspector Nicola Gulley, who in September visited the site, accessed from the B4235 by a private road that serves an existing house, sided with the council. 

She stated even taking account the scale of the existing buildings the plans proposed wouldn’t fit in with the surroundings in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and stated: “The structural form of the proposed dwellings together with the overtly modern design of the scheme would result in an incongruous form of development that fails to respect the rural character and appearance of the area and wider AONB.” 

A view of the access road to the former Welsh Water compound. (Image: PEDW planning file.)

Ms Gulley said there was no evidence the houses were required to meet local housing need by being affordable or for rural enterprise workers so agreed the plan didn’t meet the test for new homes in the open countryside where development wouldn’t normally be allowed. 

She also said Welsh planning policy is clear previously developed land can be unsuitable for new development if it is in an unsustainable location.

The distances of 500 metres and a mile and a half from the nearest settlements, with only limited commercial services, and the need to travel on the unlit private road to reach them, Ms Gulley, said made it unlikely residents would do so other than by car. 

A view inside the vehicle workshop with the timber that would have been retained shown. (Image: PEDW planning file.)

Council policy also states it won’t support residential conversions in the open countryside of modern and /or utilitarian design constructed from materials such as concrete block work or portal framed buildings clad in metal sheeting.

The inspector said Mr Gibbs had failed to provide any “substantive information” demonstrating why the conversion plans should be supported or to justify it being at odds with the policy.