Residents object to a housing scheme in St Florence, Wales, citing character and traffic concerns. Planning officers decide.
Urban Style Homes wants to build six houses on land near The Green. Their application has reference number 24/0928/PA. The homes will feature landscaping and a new road.
RPC Design described the plan in detail, proposing five two-story, four-bedroom houses. They also want to construct a single-story bungalow. Each house would have two parking spaces, plus a garage.
The Community Council dislikes the plan a lot and cite several reasons for objecting. They feel it would make the street look too urban and worry about parking and traffic issues. The needs of local people seem ignored, they stated. The council calls the designs repetitive and too big.
The council compared this plan to one from 2017, stating the old plan was better with less impact on the area. The new plan affects the area, including the conservation area and nearby land.
Planning officers will make the decision now, after Rhys Jordan, a councillor, wanted councillors to decide. He brought this request to a council meeting. The meeting took place on February 25.
Rhys Jordan stated residents want growth, but he felt that the plan harms St Florence. It could set a bad example for future projects.
A report said officers should decide and listed reasons for a committee decision. But the report claimed those reasons did not apply.
Rhys Jordan said people felt let down and previous decisions caused distrust. Ignoring public debate would further erode trust.
Clare George backed Jordan’s call, wanting a committee decision for public review. Phil Kidney agreed there is much public interest and said a hearing seemed best.
Tessa Hodgson opposed the call for councillors, stating it did not fit the criteria for committee review.
The vote failed four to two. Officers will decide the plan’s fate later.