Residents have voiced their concerns about plans to build 30 new homes in Llanbradach.
United Welsh Housing Association want to transform overgrown scrubland behind Plasturtwyn Terrace into a ‘high quality and sustainable’ development.
But residents are worried the proposals could affect road safety and cause parking issues.
David Morgan, who is Chairman of the Plasturtwyn Terrace, Wingfield Crescent and Heol Ty Gwyn Residents Committee, said: “Currently the road between Plasturtwyn Terrace and Wingfield Crescent can barely cope with the traffic, including buses, driving through it and to add at least another 37 cars would be impractical and dangerous.
“This road is at best single-lane due to its narrowness and because of the parking.
“The lane proposed for the access to the site is a well-established parking area that residents and visitors have used for many years. This is mainly used by residents that have double yellow lines outside their house and cannot park anywhere else.”
Mr Morgan added: “[The plans] propose using the lane at the back of Plasturtwyn Terrace to park vehicles. I do not think a lane is the safest place, not only for the cars, but female and elderly drivers in our road to park and have to walk on in the middle of the night.
“Residents would be walking out of their back gates straight on to potential traffic from either side, let alone cars pulling out of garages there.
“This would become a rat run especially as the Wingfield Stores is situated where it is. If the lane was used as a thoroughfare this would effectively turn Plasturtwyn Terrace into a roundabout.”
Mr Morgan is also worried about the potential issue of flooding.
He said: “The proposed development is to be built on a floodplain. If they raise the land, then suddenly our houses could be prone to flooding as the water has to go somewhere else.
“Most of the houses in Plasturtwyn Terrace have floor levels lower than the lane. Where is the water going to flood first if they raise the land behind?”
Resident Geraldine Raymond is concerned by potential sewerage issues.
Mrs Raymond said: “The sewerage is only just coping. Every time we have heavy rain it’s being checked. It’s a regular thing.”
Hefin David AM said: “I’ve been contacted by constituents in Llanbradach and I’m in touch with United Welsh and Caerphilly County Borough Council about the planning application. I intend to feedback my views to local constituents and the planning department.”
A spokesperson for United Welsh said: “There is already a waiting list of more than 7,000 people for high quality affordable homes in the Caerphilly County Borough Council area and the 30 homes that are being proposed for this site will help to meet that need.
“We are consulting with Natural Resources Wales in terms of flood risk and a detailed flood consequences assessment has been produced which shows that the site can be developed without concerns of flooding. There was no objection from Natural Resources Wales at the pre-application stage.
“A transport statement has also been produced which considers traffic impact and parking and we have consulted with highways officers about the proposals including the provision of residents’ car parking off the adopted lane.
“The plans also seek to minimise the impact upon neighbouring properties in line with the Council’s Local Development Plan.”