Ystrad housing development plan reduced in size

A HOUSING development planned for the Rhondda has been reduced in size before it goes back before councillors.

The application for land to the south of Cross Street and Trafalgar Terrace in Ystrad is now for 23 houses rather than the original 30 proposed.

The development would be on the former gasworks site and the application is seeking outline approval on the principle of development on the site.

This application was originally reported to the planning committee on October 17, 2019, with officers recommending approval.

The committee voted in favour of approving the application subject to the imposition of a number of conditions and the applicant first entering into a Section 106 agreement to secure affordable housing and an employment skills training plan.

This process has not yet been completed due to a land ownership issue that arose at the site so the planning permission has not yet been issued, the planning report said.

There’s a gas governor substation that needs to be removed from the application site so an updated indicative site layout has been submitted but the rest of the plan remains unchanged.

The plan suggests the 23 houses could be set out in two cul-de-sacs across the site, whereas the original indicative layout detailed 30 sets out around a central access road.

The site accesses remain unchanged with two proposed including one from Cross Street and one from Trafalgar Terrace both along the northern boundary of the site.

Because of the amended plan and the fact that planning permission has not yet been granted, the application will go back before Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s planning committee on Thursday, April 15.

No objections were received from the public to the application and officers are still recommending approval.

They said that the principle of developing the site is considered acceptable because the application site is located inside of settlement limits and within a predominantly residential area.

They said that because it is near to several public transport links it is in a highly sustainable location and the development would also make use of a redundant brownfield site.

They also said the design would be “appropriate” and that they don’t think it would have a detrimental impact on the character of the appearance of the area.

In terms of the impact of the privacy and amenity of existing residents in the area, they said “it is considered that a site layout similar to that illustrated would allow sufficient distance between any new properties at the site and the existing residential properties in the locality to ensure that any potential impact would not be significant enough to warrant refusal of the application.”

They also sound soundproofing measures could be put in place between the houses and the railway line and they do not think that the “very minor alteration” of removing the existing gas governor from the application site would have any further impact than that discussed in the original report.

If this is approved, a reserved matters application would consider more detailed aspects of the plans.