A scheme to build 300 homes on green space has been rejected by the Welsh Government after a lengthy planning battle.
The original application for Grove Park, near Cefn Fforest, submitted by developer Persimmon was recommended for approval by Caerphilly Council planners, but in October 2018 councillors rejected the proposal following strong local opposition.
Several deadlines to make a decision were missed by the Welsh Government, but Minister for Housing and Local Government Julie James MS has now finally rejected the plans.
Blackwood Independent Councillor Nigel Dix welcomed the decision and said: “I would like to thank residents and ward colleagues for all their hard work and support over last few years in fighting the planning application to build 300 houses on farm land adjacent to Grove Park.
“This is a victory for residents, our county side and democracy. The decision to reject the appeal will prevent developers cherry picking green fields, and ensure that elected members can progress regeneration plans on Brown field sites.”
Fellow Blackwood Independent councillor Kevin Etheridge declared: “This is brilliant news for residents and campaigners and I thank you all so very much for your support with objections. I’m overjoyed people power has won the day.”
The controversial plans had included a range of two, three and four-bedroom houses, open spaces and a new access road built from Heol Pit-y-Cieliogod and Beaumaris Way.
A two-day planning appeal hearing was held in October last year, but a change in planning policy was blamed by Welsh Government for the original delay.
What was the change in planning policy?
The plans for 300 homes were for an area outside a designated development boundary in the council’s Local Development Plan (LDP).
Under a policy called TAN 1, such plans would have favoured developers.
As it stood, the policy meant local authorities in Wales had to demonstrate a five-year housing land supply.
As Caerphilly County Borough Council does not have this, planning applications for housing developments rejected by the local authority were likely to get the go-ahead on appeal to the Welsh Government. This policy was suspended in May 2018 and scrapped altogether in March this year.
This has meant statements for the Grove Park appeal had to be resubmitted and the appeal considered afresh.
The Planning Inspectorate report had recommended for the appeal to go ahead, but the housing minister disagreed.
In a letter outlining her decision, minister Julie James MS wrote: “I am committed to a plan-led system in Wales and I consider the primacy of the adopted LDP is key to providing certainty for communities and developers, regarding the type and scale of development that will be permitted in local authority areas throughout Wales.
“Whilst I accept the proposed development would provide some benefits, particularly the provision of affordable housing, I am not satisfied these benefits outweigh the identified conflict with LDP policies, which have been designed by the local planning authority in order to control housing development outside defined settlement policy boundaries.”
Mrs James also pointed out that there are nearby sites earmarked for development in the LDP that have yet to built on.
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