Councillors have ignored planning officials and are set to turn down a development to build 45 homes.
At a meeting of Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee on Wednesday, February 8, members defied a planning officer’s recommendation that the homes should be built on land at Woodfield Park, in Penmaen, near Oakdale.
Officials had advised that councillors defer a final decision so that developer Rectory Homes could enter into a Section 106 agreement – and meet acceptable terms before then granting permission.
Cllr Roy Saralis, Labour councillor for Penmaen, gave an impassioned speech to the committee against the proposals.
He said: “I believe the case for rejection is far stronger than the reasons given by officers for approval.
“Oakdale is a garden village that is rapidly developing into an urban sprawl… We must control developments in Oakdale before the character of the village is totally lost.
“It would be an act of vandalism to allow this development to take place.”
The site, off Oakdale Terrace, is designated as a SINC – a site of importance for nature conservation – and is outside the settlement boundary in the council’s adopted Local Development Plan (LDP), meaning the land is not allocated for residential use.
However, the council is currently some way short of its five-year land housing supply target.
Cllr Saralis referenced the £28 million Islwyn High School project, pointing to the sites of the soon-to-be former Pontllanfraith and Oakdale comprehensive schools as available for residential development.
To applause from the public gallery he added: “We are aware of the problems of only having a 1.9 year housing supply, but allowing this development will have a microscopic effect on improving that statistic.”
Due to planning procedure rules, despite opposition, the application was not rejected at the meeting.
Cllr David Carter, chair of the planning committee, said: “While desirability is nice, legality must take precedence.”
In the Planning Code of Practice, members who disagree with the professional advice given by officers express their reasons for the refusal of an application, before a vote takes place to gauge support.
The application is then deferred for a further report in which officers will advise members of the appropriate wording of the reasons for refusal.
Officers can also explain to the planning committee any legal implications of their intended decision before confirmation.
Reasons given by members to refuse the housing application were that the land is a green wedge, a SINC, and is outside the LDP settlement area.
The report will be re-submitted with the reasons for refusal.