House builder Redrow has submitted a planning appeal to allow it to build 260 homes in Caerphilly.
The scheme, for land north of the Hendredenny housing estate, was turned down by councillors in April this year over fears it would worsen traffic congestion at peak times on nearby roads.
However, agents RPS Group, acting on behalf of Redrow, have argued the council was wrong to assume a “worst case scenario” and has argued that not all residents of the houses would be car users.
In its appeal filed with the Planning Inspectorate it said: “Hendredenny is strategically located in transportation terms, the nearest railway station to the site is Energlyn and Churchill Station, just over a km away.
“This station is on the Rhymney line that provides a 15min frequency service between Cardiff, Caerphilly, Bargoed and Rhymney during the daytime.
“Three bus services connect Hendredenny with Caerphilly and the surrounding area with between 12 minute and hourly frequencies. There are three bus stops within 60 to 150m of the site.”
Plaid Cymru councillor Lindsay Whittle, who represents the Penyrheol ward covering Hendredenny, argued against this notion back at the original planning meeting earlier this year.
He told the planning committee in April: “Hendredenny is the heart of the commuter belt. Redrow are living in utter fantasy by suggesting that cycling to work and walking buses for children are viable alternatives to the amount of cars on the road. That simply will not happen due to the gradient of the hills.
“They are misleading people. The likelihood is that these houses will be occupied by young professionals working in Cardiff who will be commuting by car.
“People do not cycle from Caerphilly to Cardiff. Hendredenny is full, that has to be understood.”
Speaking of the recent appeal, Cllr Whittle said: “This is something I am fundamentally opposed to and I would urge everyone to write to the planning inspectorate.
“Another 260 houses is at least possibly 450 extra cars on the highway leading on to the northern by-pass.
“We know greenfields are what the developers want, but there are enough brownfield sites in the Caerphilly basin to accommodate all the housing that is needed.”
The Planning Inspectorate Wales will be accepting comments from the public on the appeal until December 21.
Caerphilly County Borough Council has until January 11 to make its views known.
A planning inquiry on the appeal is set to be heard in March next year.
Laughable arguments by Redrow, I think it is safer to assume that every household of this proposed estate will be a car user. The few that are not will be vastly out numbered by multiple car households. Also the railway station “is a little over a km away”, I would say a lot more than a km away by any walking route. Do they seriously think that people will walk to the station and then walk back up a very long, steep hill? No, of course not, they don’t believe this themselves but money talks – talks nonsense it appears.
It’s very interesting that the traffic study, whilst not seeking to fix the existing
highway capacity issues during peak times for the betterment of car commuters, points the big, fat finger of congestion at the pedestrian crossing at Hendre school. Surely a footbridge here, that already has planning – but CCBC haven’t the cash, funded part or entirely by Redrow would tick a lot of lovely boxes?