Residents, environmental campaigners and politicians have united in their opposition to the draft Local Development Plan agreed by Caerphilly County Borough Council.
A Local Development Plan, or LDP, is effectively a guide used by planners and councillors mapping out how an area can be developed.
In this instance, Caerphilly County Borough Council’s draft LDP sets out the direction of development until 2031.
In its current form, which councillors agreed in February, thousands of new homes have been earmarked for green spaces across Caerphilly County Borough.
Residents have until April 22 to get their views across on how the draft LDP should be changed before it is formally adopted.
An independent planning inspector will take into account the views of residents and publish a report in September next year.
This is the only time changes can be made to the LDP – if the inspector recommends it.
Another vote is then needed by full council before the LDP is formally adopted.
At the moment, the council does not have an up-to-date LDP, meaning any planning application submitted by developers and turned down by councillors could end up in appeal – with a real risk that developments could be built in areas that the council, and residents, do not want.
It was against this background that Labour councillors found themselves in a position where they felt they had to approve the draft LDP. The argument being it’s better to allow building on some green land rather than all of it.
Caerphilly County Borough Council is under pressure from Welsh Government regulations that stipulate local authorities have to have a clear housing supply plan for the next five years.
Currently, Caerphilly has a projected supply for just under two years.
As a result, thousands of new homes have been earmarked in the draft LDP.
DEVELOPMENT
Around 685 homes could be built on the site of the former Ness Tar Plant and the surrounding area of Nant y Calch Farm near Caerphilly town in addition to a new by-pass going from Van Road, over the mountain and joining the A469.
A petition against the draft LDP has now been started on the Cardiff side of the mountain by Julie Morgan, Labour’s Assembly candidate for Cardiff North, over concerns about increased traffic.
Hefin David, Labour’s Assembly candidate for Caerphilly, added: “It is significant that the Cardiff North Labour Party want to protect Caerphilly Mountain as I do.
“Their petition reinforces the point I have consistently been making – we need a strategic LDP for South-East Wales and not plans based on individual local authority areas.
“If elected to the Assembly, I am going to make it my mission to have a strategic, all-encompassing local development plan.”
Plaid Cymru’s Caerphilly AM candidate Lindsay Whittle has also been vocal in his opposition.
Writing recently for Caerphilly Observer’s website, he said: “Everyone who travels in and around Caerphilly knows what traffic congestion is like, particularly during the rush hour.
“Can you imagine what the road network will be with thousands of more new homes in the Caerphilly Basin? Putting additional traffic out onto the Caerphilly Mountain road is a recipe for chaos, particularly in bad weather. It will also spoil the feel of the area.”
Conservative candidate Jane Pratt and UKIP’s Sam Gould have also spoken out against the draft LDP.
In Maesycwmmer, around 1,800 homes are planned for Gwernau Ganol and Gwerna Fawr Farm, with up to 600 more built beyond 2031. This is in addition to a new road by-pass for the A472.
At Gwern y Domen Farm in Rudry, around 600 new homes are planned, as are around 600 in Nelson, and 630 on the site of Bedwas Colliery.
ANGER
There is particular anger at the potential loss of green space.
The Gwent Wildlife Trust has expressed concern that wildflower meadows could be lost to development at several of the sites outlined in the LDP.
GWT Conservation Officer Lindi Rich said: “There are so few of these wildflower meadows left in the countryside, these sites are extremely precious and with the direct support from the public we can save them together.”
In Newbridge and Pentwynmawr there are plans to build around 130 houses on woodland, and residents recently met to voice their opposition and have formed the Preserve Our Woodland group.
Geoff Cripps, from the group, said: “Through meeting and speaking with our neighbours and friends just over the past week we became aware that dozens of residents were feeling the same way as us.
“If the Gwent Wildlife Trust had not placed a few posters near the threatened woodlands many of us would have still been in the dark about what this replacement LDP means to life in Pentwynmawr and Newbridge.”
NO DEVELOPMENT IS CERTAIN
None of the developments in the draft LDP are guaranteed to be built however.
Each project will need its own planning permissions and its own developer to stump up the cash for building work.
With each planning application, residents and councillors will be able to voice concerns and the council’s planning committee then has to decide whether or not to allow permission – guided of course by the adopted LDP.
A spokesperson for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “The council is currently consulting on its Deposit Replacement Local Development Plan and would welcome views from all interested parties.
“The consultation provides an opportunity for all stakeholders and the wider community to consider the plan in its entirety, and to record their views on proposals outlining how land across the area will be allocated in future.”
• To register a comment or to view all the LDP documents online, visit www.caerphilly.gov.uk/ldp or submit a letter in writing to The LDP Team, Strategic and Development Plans, Communities Directorate, Penallta House, Ystrad Mynach, CF82 7PG.
Residents wanting their questions on the LDP answered can call 01495 235 376 or email ldp@caerphilly.gov.uk.
The consultation on the draft LDP ends at midnight on April 22.
The Clue in the Title, “This is a DRAFT LDP” and those opposed to it or specific parts of it, all they need to do is to get their ducks in a row and submit meaningful alterations and adjustments to what is proposed by officers of the Council. Changes cannot reasonably be made by officers in their recommendations to the Caerphilly Council by Rabble Rousing for political purposes.
Clearly there is opposition, and clearly the Caerphilly Council should have to make adjustments to it, against the advice of Council Planning Officers, who, when the Draft when through the Council last time around Planning Staff were seen to be congratulating each other as if some sort of political empowerment had been given to their plans. Lets show them that with reasonable submissions the people CAN SPEAK, and that the Council have the courage to make substancial changes to what OFFICERS have recommended.
The Gwent Wildlife Trust and some local politicians, are prominent in their opposition to these plans, but they ignore the killing and culling of wildlife in and around CAERPHILLY CASTLE the breaking of wings and legs of large geese in the process, the manned destruction of nests and habitate around the Castle, and the smashing of eggs, there is also some evidence that some wildlife may even be being shot round the CASTLE to control them, the people doing this are CADWR, an agency body of the Welsh Assembly, who are acting illegally. .And, the most ironic thing is that CAERPHILLY celebrates the Duck, Geese and Bird wildlife population in Caerphilly by erecting three BRONZE MONUMENTS to them, ( Cost £125,000) but, appears to do nothing to prevent this perverse destruction of historic wildlife in and around our Castle.
Oppose the LDP certainly but the The Gwent Wildlife Trust have to get their proirities right, the clue in this respect is also in the title, “The Gwent Wildlife Trust”.
What an idiot ..
The Labour group on Caerphilly CBC should have got this right 1st time around …
No excuses, appalling decision making from Labour – again.
The Last Welsh Nationalist Council failed to get it right, first, second and third time around, having to re-write thier plan three times. Your comments are hypocritical and inane.
Absolutely spot on. This is Labour’s LDP – they voted it through against opposition from Plaid Cymru councillors. And Hefin David was clearly given permission to not support the Labour group because he’s standing in the Assembly election. This is more than just about Caerphilly mountain – because these developers will change Caerphilly for ever by building on our green fields.
Must say that Julie Morgan has a cheek when the Cardiff council Labour group pushed through plans for thousands of new homes on green fields – including in Cardiff North which she represents. Only speaking out now because there is an election – does she think people are that gullible?
You should know better than to post these misleading inaccurate comments in the Name of The Welsh Nationalists.
Did you and your party come up with better process to evolve its LDP`s? be careful how you answer this I have long memory.
You and your colleagues had to practicaly re-write the LDP you passed as a Nationalist Council because it was so `unacceptable` and in some respect so perverse, even trying to steal Charitable Land and turn it into Development Land, disgraceful.hypicritical and misleading (the public) this is not the thing of open and acceptable politics, it has become the thing of how The Welsh Nationist Party works though. Your `Upvoter` NIGHT is as misinformed about the facts as you.
It’s your beloved Labour that have got this wrong big time.
You keep living in an untruthful past and need to wake up and come to the present day where we see Labour forcing the sandwich tax on schools and supporting developing greenfield sites around Caerffili County against the wishes of the people of Caerffili County.
You are a liar and Labour are a disgrace
I believe in free speech, so, Being as you represent The Welsh Nationalist Party, and you Call ME A LIAR, I would like to give you the opportunity to explain what `lies` I have told. You do your party, its members and supporters, and particularly its Few remaining Elected Councillors no favours, with your personal disrespect to other citizens.
You are the face of all which your party, The Welsh Nationalist, represent i.e. reprehensable discord and conflict, and you have not got the decency to make your comments under your own name, says something about your local band of hypocrites
I do not support the plan of building houses on greenfield sites. It feels like the council has chosen the easy option when they should be looking into identifying potential brownfield sites for new housing developments. Our beautiful countryside is our biggest strength in Caerphilly. It is why people want to live here and why people want to visit the area. Failing to protect our green spaces, we would wave a goodbye to many things that secure a strong local economy. For example, our health benefits from nature, as does tourism.
On several occasions and as we can see from this article, it has been pointed out to the council that the current road infrastructure will not be able to take the pressure created by the planned new housing. It is important that the council acknowledges the new housing stock won’t exist in a vacuum. If we are to reach our targets set by the Welsh Government in developing new housing, it is crucial that the inadequacies of the current transportation network are taken into account. A Green voice in the Welsh Assembly would ensure that public transport would receive the attention and the money it needs to ensure the sustainable growth of Caerphilly.
Andrew Creak, Wales Green Party assembly candidate for Caerphilly