It would be the tip of a very large iceberg, if a controversial housing development went ahead, a councillor has claimed.
Persimmon Homes has lodged an appeal against a decision to reject plans for 300 new homes in Blackwood.
The developer was refused planning permission by Caerphilly County Borough Council to build on six fields north of the Grove Park estate last November.
Independent councillor Nigel Dix said that if the appeal was granted, then it could open up the wider area for a total of 1,200 homes.
He said: “This is a tip of a very large iceberg and would totally change the countryside and the communities that we live in for decades.”
Cllr Dix said the appeal, which will be decided by the Welsh Government’s Planning Inspectorate, will be the first “acid test” of a change in planning policy.
Known as Technical Advice Notice 1 (TAN 1), the policy weighted planning appeals in favour of developers if a local authority had an identified shortage of housing land supply for the next five years – as is the case in Caerphilly County Borough.
This was suspended by the Welsh Government in May last year.
Persimmon’s plans to build on 9.72-hectares of open land were met with huge public opposition, with three petitions signed by more than 500 people.
The housebuilder said the development was a £30 million investment in the area, creating 127 jobs and potentially generating more than £800,000 a year through council tax and planning charges.
The council’s planning committee said the development was outside of agreed settlement boundaries and would have a negative impact on local roads and services like schools and doctors surgeries.
The appeal has now been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate.
Before refusing the planning application last year, councillors were told to expect Persimmon to appeal and that the housebuilder would have a strong case.
This was confirmed in a letter written by Persimmon’s managing director, Martin Smith, to the council’s leader, Cllr Dave Poole, last year.
“I do not want to appeal but the strength of our case is significant and plain for all to see,” said Mr Smith.
“I hope this can be avoided but it cannot, I will be required to pursue an appeal alongside any associated costs that may be justified.”
Each of the concerns raised by the committee, which included a loss of greenfield land, were made without “reasonable evidence” and against officer advice, added Mr Smith.
The council’s development control manager, Tim Stephens, had warned councillors in November that the authority would be “vulnerable to very high costs” if the application was refused on highway grounds.
He added: “It’s not a threat as such, it’s a reality.”
• Additional material by the Local Democracy Reporting Service.