DENBIGHSHIRE Council’s planning committee refused an application for four detached dwellings on land adjacent to Bryn Derw, Llanbedr Dyffryn Clwyd, Ruthin.
Mr R Davies submitted the plans, which included formation of access, and landscaping, for the site 67m off the A494 trunk road in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Llanbedr DC Community Council raised concerns that the development would not be in keeping with the character of the area, citing a lack of variety of house types and the absence of footpaths.
Residents also raised several other concerns, including dangerous access for pedestrians and vehicles onto the A494 and the narrowness of the road.
Concerns were also raised about the scale of the development, the overdevelopment of a rural village, limited local services, and potential loss of habitat for bats, hedgehogs, and birds. One objection letter claimed an oak tree full of wildlife had already been removed to facilitate site access.
The planning assessment described the four houses as large, two-storey dwellings.
But planning officers highlighted that the proposed four-bedroom homes did not meet identified local housing needs and that no viability case had been submitted to justify the scale.
Cllr Huw Hilditch-Roberts said: “We have a need in Denbighshire for houses, and it is part of our corporate plan, and we are mentioning this all the time, so I think we need to have an element of common sense.
“You can’t walk, people have said, to the school in Llanbedr.
“There isn’t a safe route anywhere in the village, and I think we need to have common sense to make sure that we are able to get some more homes in the village for the housing problem we have.”
Cllr Jon Harland commented: “Affordability and accessibility are real concerns for me on this one.
“How are these four large detached houses going to be of any use to the local community in terms of supplying houses for them, putting roofs over their heads?
“Also, I’m really concerned about the scant regard for the environment by the diversity and ecology in this application.
“It is hardly mentioned to be honest. There is a serious problem with an oak tree being chopped down if I’m correct.”
There had been two previous planning applications at the site, one for the erection of two homes that was withdrawn, and another dismissed after an appeal on highway safety grounds.
But officers concluded that the development would be unsustainable, “entirely reliant on private cars” due to the absence of footpaths, and failed to provide a suitable housing mix or density.
Cllr Ellie Chard proposed councillors went with the recommendation to refuse permission, this was seconded by Cllr Andrea Tomlin, and the application was refused 14 votes to two.
