Housing company overcomes hurdles which could allow work on major Deeside development to begin

A Housing company has overcome a series of hurdles which could allow work on a major development in Flintshire to begin in earnest.

Detailed proposals for 283 new homes at the old RAF Sealand South Camp were approved by Flintshire Council’s planning committee in June.

Planners in the county have now approved an application by Countryside Properties PLC to discharge more than 20 conditions which needed to be fulfilled for the scheme to get underway.

They include details of access arrangements, landscaping, drainage and construction management for the site, which forms part of the £95m Northern Gateway project.

It also details the amount of affordable housing included, which proved contentious when the proposals were recently discussed by councillors.

In a letter submitted on the firm’s behalf, officials said permission would allow the first phase of development to get underway.

Helen Hartley from Nexus Planning said: “On behalf of our client, Countryside Properties PLC, we have submitted an application seeking to discharge conditions attached to the outline planning approval in relation to the first phase of the residential reserved matters on the above site.

“This application now submitted provides information to discharge the conditions in relation to the first phase.

“The submitted reserved matters scheme proposed 28 affordable properties, equating to ten per cent affordable provision.

“A viability appraisal has been submitted to accompany the reserved matters application and is currently being reviewed.”

Preparation work began last autumn following the construction of a £3.1m road network paid for by the Welsh Government.

Some councillors expressed strong objections to council officials permitting lowering the amount of affordable housing required from 30 down to 10 per cent during June’s meeting.

However, planning officers warned refusing permission could jeopardise the authority’s emerging Local Development Plan (LDP),

which relies heavily on the two Northern Gateway sites to boost housing numbers.

The planning conditions were discharged by officers earlier this week using delegated powers.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).