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A developer is set to be granted another time extension for proposals to build 95 homes in Maesycwmmer.
Outline permission for the development was first granted in 2009, when a then-Welsh Assembly Government planning inspector overturned a Caerphilly Council decision.
The local authority had originally turned down the proposals for the homes on land near Gellideg Lane.
Since the inspector’s decision, the council has approved a series of requests to allow more time for the developer to submit an application for so-called reserved matters – which cover the more specific details of proposed developments.
The council’s planning committee met on Wednesday November 11 to consider a new bid to grant an additional three years for a reserved matters application.
Members agreed unanimously to grant the extension if the applicant, Newbridge Construction Limited, enters into a Section 106 agreement covering the provision of affordable housing, road improvements, ecological works and public open spaces.
What is a Section 106 agreement?
People who apply for planning permission for larger projects are often asked to make Section 106 contributions – a deal that comes under Wales and England’s 1990 Town and Country Planning Act.
Simply put, a developer can offset, or even compensate, a local authority for some of the impacts their proposed construction could have on an area – such as a new housing estate causing added pressure on nearby schools.
Sometimes, the Section 106 agreement might be for the developer to carry out a specific piece of work, like the building of a new playground or community centre.
In other cases, an applicant or developer may agree to pay a sum of money to the council, which will then be spent on social housing or affordable homes.
While Section 106 deals can later be amended or even cancelled, they are generally an acceptable way for councils to make sure communities benefit directly from large-scale developments near their homes.
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