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Councillors have approved plans for a major housing development in Abertridwr.

A proposal by United Welsh for 152 new homes was approved by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee at a meeting on Wednesday August 16.

The development will take place on the site of the former Windsor Colliery, south of Ysgol Ifor Bach, and will consist of both market housing and social homes.

A new access road will be built alongside the school, serving 29 one-bedroom homes, as well as 52 two-bedroom and 71 three-bedroom properties.

Planning documents show neighbours sent 29 letters of objection to the council, outlining their opposition to the development, including fears around traffic and pressure on local services.

Council planners noted “local residents have raised significant concerns” about the impact of the development on neighbouring properties, ranging from a loss of privacy to “possible instability from disturbance of the old coal tip”.

Planners said a report “acknowledges an increase in traffic flows at the junctions closest to the application site” but said junctions further afield “would equate to [a traffic increase of]less than 4%”. 

Privacy concerns were dismissed because the distance between the proposed new homes, and existing properties in nearby Ty’n y Parc were “considered sufficient” to avoid any “overlooking, overshadowing or overbearing impacts”.

Council documents also showed the proposed site was “heavily infested with both Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam” and was “currently being treated with herbicide as part of the [council’s] programme to address invasive non-native plant species”.

But in their recommendation for approval, planners pointed to a need for more housing in Caerphilly. They noted a target of 575 new homes set in the authority’s local development plan, which ran from 2006 to 2021, had been missed “and is forecast to continue to be below this requirement for most years up to 2026/27”.

The Windsor Colliery site is currently council-owned and has been set aside for housing, the planning committee was told.

The land is currently “covered by rough vegetation including grass and gorse bushes” and, at the meeting, committee member Cllr Shane Williams asked for a guarantee some green space would be protected.

Planning officer Carwyn Powell said his department was “satisfied” the developer would provide some green space, and told Aber Valley councillor John Taylor an existing cycle path and footpath around the proposed development would also remain.

Previously, the planning application detailed a proposal for 153 homes on the site, but Mr Powell clarified to the committee the correct number of properties was 152.