Flintshire housing development hangs in balance after confusion over community council comments

Plans for a 21 home development in a Flintshire village hang in the balance due to confusion about community council comments on the application.

Flintshire Council’s planning committee has deferred making a decision on a bid to develop land near Rhewl Fawr Road, Penyffordd in Holywell.

Planning permission was originally granted six years ago for the development of 23 homes on the same land but this has now expired.

The revised application is for 16 three-bedroom dwellings and five two-bedroom detached dwellings. The applicants hopes this mix will provide a great degree of affordability to a wider range of housing in the area.

Three parking spaces would be provided for each property and adjacent or in close proximity to the dwelling entrance.

A planning agent speaking on behalf of the applicant at the meeting said it was a direct resubmission of a previous application which had previously been approved six years ago for 23 homes, now reduced to 21.

Brian Napier, speaking on behalf of fellow residents highlighted concerns with flooding and the drainage system – with fears additional housing would place it under even greater pressure.

He said: “There could be dire consequences for the residents of the proposed development is allowed to proceed without an investigation into the adequacy of the existing drainage infrastructure.”

Other concerns included the impact of increased traffic. Flintshire Council planning chiefs had recommend the application be approved.

Llanasa and Trelawnyd Cllr Glyn Banks (Ind), also speaking on behalf of residents and fellow ward member Cllr Gina Maddison (Lab), said the original application was approved when there were different drainage requirements.

He added that there were also concerns about infrastructure and said comments on the application attributed to Llanasa Community Council were actually for a different a development in the same area.

Connah’s Quay Central Cllr Bernie Attridge (Ind) suggested deferring a decision so the committee could undertake a site visit due to the confusion.

This was supported by Buckley Pentrobin Cllr Mike Peers (Ind) who sid: “I understand that the community council’s comments have been attributed to this application when they were in fact for another application.

“I don’t think it would be safe to follow this because the wrong comments have been submitted.”

Chief planning officer Andrew Farrow acknowledged there had been confusion with the comments and suggested a site visit for councillors so that they could see it for themselves.

The planning committee agreed to defer the application to undertake a site visit.

By Rory Sheehan – Local Democracy Reporter