Council blocks flats plan next to Connah’s Quay pub for second time

Flintshire Council has, for the second time, refused permission for a development project proposing the construction of a block of flats adjacent to the Halfway House pub on Church Street, Connah’s Quay.

The latest bid, aiming to transform a piece of land currently serving as an informal car park into a two-storey building housing six one-bedroom flats, was turned down on April 3.

The refusal follows an initial rejection of a similar application by planning officers in October of the previous year, which had proposed the erection of eight flats.

Both applications by Turnquay Developments Ltd faced opposition from community leaders and Natural Resources Wales, primarily due to concerns regarding the flood risk associated with the site’s proximity to the River Dee.

In support of their revised plans, the developers presented an outline planning application, highlighting the project’s intent to repurpose vacant brownfield land to augment the local housing stock without jeopardising residential amenity or highway safety.

They argued that the proposed affordable rental accommodation would be an asset to the community, fitting harmoniously within its setting without negatively impacting the neighbouring pub or businesses.

However, the council cited two main reasons for the refusal. Firstly, the development’s scale, form, and finished floor levels were judged to have a detrimental and overbearing impact on the visual amenity of the surrounding area and the broader streetscape, contravening several policies of the Flintshire Local Development Plan.

Secondly, concerns were raised over the feasibility of the proposed parking layout, which includes ramps with a 1:6 gradient considered too steep for practical use, thereby failing to ensure adequate parking and turning facilities as per policies STR5 and PC5 of the Local Development Plan.