A planning application to develop up to 115 homes on farmland near Cwmgelli, Blackwood, has been given the green light after going to appeal.
The developer, Gwent Investments, launched the appeal after Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee rejected the plans at a meeting in November last year.
Councillors rejected it on the basis that the proposal conflicted with the current adopted Local Development Plan and threatened green space between Blackwood, Oakdale and Penmaen.
Blackwood councillor Nigel Dix, who campaigned on behalf of residents against the development, said he was disappointed by the decision.
He said: “I feel that the environmental arguments against granting outlying planning permission have been ignored in favour of the developers.
“The Welsh Government’s decision to withdraw funding for brownfield sites was a hammer blow to the environment and I fear that unless funding is found to help develop brownfield sites. The environment will be under constant pressure from speculative developers.
“Despite the decision I will work to ensure that development on Cwmgelli has the least impact.”
Election over normal service has been resumed, you had your chance good folk of Caerphilly ( and the rest of Wales ) but voted for more of the same, and after losing this appeal Caerphilly Council will have to pay all of Gwent Investments costs which will most likely be a very tidy sum, still look on the bright side Caerphilly Council stand to gain over £500’000 in community infrastructure levy payments which they’ll probably use to pay off one of the suspended council officers….more houses will have to be built on green belt land to pay off the other two.
What on earth has this to do with local politics?
The Labour Council REJECTED the proposals to build, so far you and they agree,? and to have adopted that position they are now in the frame to pay the appeal costs having HAD THIER DECISION TO REFUSE PLANNING CONSENT OVERRULED by an Inspector on points of law.
So, exactly what process do you suggest the Council should have taken???? To avoid losing the appeal and therefore paying costs to the winner?. The only way, as I see it, was to grant permission in the first place?
It is the Welsh Labour government who have granted the planning permission after going to appeal, and it is the Welsh Labour government who most likely sold off the land in the first place to a housing developer to build houses on, Councillors who preside over planning applications don’t know what they’re doing, at a planning committee I attended one of the fools stood up and announced to the room that he couldn’t care less how much an appeal would cost Caerphilly Council he would vote with his heart not his head – this fool has a responsibility to make an informed decision given the facts of the application, not vote according to his own personal biased opinion with no regard for the pubilc purse. Why wasn’t this news released before the election not a few days after it, because Liebour didn’t want bad news getting out which may influence the voters, it stinks.
You appear to want if both ways, is`nt it the case that the Planning committee REFUSED the application, therefore it must follow, ( Labour Plaid or anyone else in control) considered the application unacceptable, and therefore cannot be blamed for a subsequent higher tribunal decision to overrule them. Or are you suggesting that the Labour Council should have done something different to that which they did?.
I have also heard the same comment you quote being made, but some years ago, when another party was in control of the Council, and I can actually name that Councillor who repeated the remark in another public meeting., it maybe the same Councillor? what do you think?..
no cost paid no cost sort and the land is owned by a local business man , hope this helps