Contentious plans for 125 homes on the site of former council offices in Pontllanfraith are set to come back before Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee – after being refused by councillors. 

Just a single vote decided the “flagship” housing plan earlier this month, which promises 83 affordable homes in a collaboration between the council and housing association Pobl.

But while many councils give planning reasons for refusal at the time of rejecting an application, Caerphilly council requires an additional meeting to discuss the reasons for rejecting an application.

Independent councillor Kevin Etheridge has warned the system leaves the possibility of additional information coming forward between the meetings which could sway a committee to change its decision.

“I do not agree with [the system],” he said.

“Once an application is refused we have had a proper debate and there is openness and transparency.

“In my view, officers should then go and write the reasons for refusal, they should not bring it back again.”

But the council said the system is “acknowledged as good practice” by bodies including the Welsh Government and the Royal Town Planning Institute.

“The purpose of the system is to ensure that reasons for refusal are properly formed,” a council spokesman said.

“This allows members to consider the precise wording of reasons for refusal and whether these can be defended at appeal.

“The process was agreed by council in the planning code of practice, which can be found in part five of the constitution.

“Many local planning authorities in Wales operate a similar process.”

The plans for housing in Pontllanfraith faced opposition over its impact on the neighbouring Sir Harold Finch Memorial Park.

A petition to save it from housing development was signed by 1,308 people, saying building on the site would “alter the landscape forever”.

A planning report said the housing plan would encroach onto 1.4 hectares of the park, which is around 13% of its overall area.

But planning officers recommended approval, claiming the level of housing would bring “a substantial benefit to the local community” which outweighed the loss of part of the memorial park.

“If this is overturned, there will be a furore,” Cllr Etheridge said.

Three Labour councillors – Jamie Pritchard, Roy Saralis and Carl Thomas – said they hope the planning committee will change their mind as the application provides “urgently needed” affordable housing for families in the county borough.

The application is expected to come back before the planning committee to consider reasons for refusal next Wednesday (July 8).