Council backs plans for sixteen homes and three-storey apartment block

Plans for “much needed affordable homes” have been approved by Caerphilly County Borough Council, despite parking concerns.

The development, off Bedwas Road in Caerphilly, will include 16 homes and a three-storey apartment block.

The houses will all be two-storeys and the development will include a mixture of two, three and four bedrooms with front and rear gardens.

The apartment block will be ‘I’ shaped and will have 12 one-bed apartments and three two-bed apartments.

In a planning committee meeting, on Wednesday November 10, Councillor John Ridgewell, who represents Ynysddu, said: “These are much needed affordable homes, but the issue of car parking is a matter of concern.”

The council’s Transportation Manager objected to the application because of a shortfall of 16 parking spaces.

Council deputy leader Jamie Pritchard urged the committee to recognise the comments made by the Transportation Manager.

But Cllr Pritchard said he supported the application due to a need for affordable housing in the area.

The shortfall in parking was justified by planning officers because the site has access to public transport,  shops and the town centre

Cllr John Taylor, who represents Aber Valley, said: “Bedwas Road is a major bus route.”

Cllr Taylor also raised concerns about the fact the access road is currently not going to be adopted by the council’s highways department, meaning it would be a private road.

Planning officer Carwyn Powell said the developer would have an interest in maintaining the road.

Mr Powell also said if more car parking spaces were to be added to the development it would mean a decrease in dwellings and it would not be viable.

Cllr Nigel Dix, who represents Blackwood, said he was “delighted” about this and that he had no issue with the reduction in parking spaces.

Developer Harmoni Homes have agreed to provide 25% of car parking spaces with an electric charging point.

Harmoni Homes is a United Welsh brand that offers homes to buy outright, or through a low cost home ownership or shared ownership scheme.

Chair of the planning committee, Roy Saralis, said: “The houses will be there for a long time and you are talking about major changes in the next ten or 20 years.”

The development will be built behind the 7 to 11 Convenience Store. Sheeting clad industrial buildings will be removed from the site.