A THREE-bedroom bungalow to be built on a field behind existing houses has been given the green light despite objections over an access “track”.
The home will be built on an existing field which is within the development boundary of Portskewett but will have to to be accessed from a track, where there is currently a steel farm gate, from Main Road the primary route through the village.
Main Road resident Michael Taylor sent a written submission to Monmouthshire County Council’s October 7 planning committee and objected as he said the track runs along the side of his house.
“We have two overlooking windows and people will be able to see directly into our property,” said Mr Taylor who also raised concern at the impact on local wildlife and road safety.
He said there had been an accident at the nearby junction with Wedgewood Drive and said poor visibility, from the access track, would pose a further road safety risk, which he said was acknowledged by the council when it objected to a previous application using another access track further along Main Road.
“That had the same safety risk but the planning officer is considering approval in this case,” Mr Taylor said in his submission.
Monmouthshire’s head of planning Andrew Jones said the application referred to was “materially different” as the track that was proposed for access in the case was already serving nine homes. He also said the council’s highways officer hadn’t objected to the current application and neither had its ecologist.
Ian Danks, speaking on behalf of applicant Vivian Danks, said: “When we took the land on we recognised we may legally own the land but the reality, as in any village in South Wales, is we are stewards.”
Mr Danks said that had guided their application and their approach to protecting biodiversity but he said he disputed the description of the access, which is currently only marked by tyre tracks in the grass, as a track.
He said it was first put in place for access to a business, in 1967, which he said was 45 years before the extension to the house beside it and said: “It is an access road not a track.”
The application, which also includes a new drieveway path and minor alterations to the existing access as well as a shed and summer house, was approved unanimously by the committee.
