PLANS to build thousands of new homes in Maesycwmmer are likely to be axed following a dispute between Caerphilly County Borough Council and the Welsh Government.
The village was chosen as a “strategic site” for development in a draft of the council’s updated Local Development Plan (LDP) – a blueprint for planning.
But the government raised concerns about the viability of the site, including that it would have meant the construction of a new road – something that would clash with national climate change strategies, a council meeting heard on Wednesday July 25.
Some councillors were vocal in their criticism of the proposal to omit the Maesycwmmer site from the LDP.
Cllr Judith Pritchard said she was “very disappointed” with the move and urged the council to try and persuade the government to think again.
A relief road for Maesycwmmer would be an “advantage” of the project, she told the meeting.
Cllr Martyn James added his own concerns about existing transport, describing traffic along the A472 as “already chock-a-block”.
But strategic planning officer Dave Lucas said the Welsh Government “maintained their objections” following “discussions” about the site.
Mr Lucas also noted the government’s Roads Review of 2023, which signalled an intention to “pull back” from new road-building projects.
Cllr Nigel Dix, speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service after the meeting, said he was concerned about that approach.
He said it was “unrealistic” to expect thousands of houses to be built without any new roads, and feared it would lead to “fewer homes being built, more congestion and pollution as cars will be stuck in traffic”.
During the meeting, Cllr Marina Chacon-Dawson questioned whether there were enough brownfield sites in the county borough to replace the axed Maesycwmmer plan.
She was told there is only a “limited” supply of pre-developed land, meaning the council will “require greenfield land release” for building.
But council officers did not reveal which greenfield sites could be developed for housing, in response to a question from Cllr Kevin Etheridge.
Wednesday’s debate will be followed by a brief, three-week consultation with statutory partners before a new LDP can be finalised.
Caerphilly Council had to go back to the drawing board last year after the government rebuffed its draft replacement LDP – a document which sets out its strategy for new building projects.
Work is under way to meet government targets on regional collaboration and green infrastructure, and the council believes this – along with the scrapping of the Maesycwmmer plan – means it is now in a position to “re-engage” the LDP process.
