Plans to build two semi-detached houses near Mold rejected

Plans to build two small semi-detached houses along a main road near Mold have been rejected.

Flintshire Council’s planning department have refused an application to develop land adjacent to Church Terrace, Pontblyddyn, along the A541 near the listed Christ Church.

A statement in support of the proposals was submitted by Bob Dewey Planning on behalf of the applicant, calling on the council not to be ‘rigid’ when deciding on what it considers to be ‘open’ countryside outside a settlement.

It said: “The proposal is to redevelop a section of the residential garden to allow two semi-detached dwellings.

“The proposed siting immediately adjoins a long-established terrace of five small dwellings and adjoins the site of 12 terraced dwellings now demolished.

“Access is proposed using the long established access to Church Terrace It is accepted that the site is considered by the County Council to be outside a settlement and in ‘open’ countryside.

“However, sometimes it is useful to reflect on what appears on the ground as ‘settlement’. In our opinion, it is relevant also to take account on the history of the site as illustrated on the attached historic plans.

“We suggest that whilst Pontblyddyn settlement is identified by the Council as the area around the A541/A5102 junction, it is right to recognise that it is a very linear community.

In our view, the settlement logically continues further north along the A541.

“It would be extraordinary to us that the settlement does not include the village pub, the village cemetery, the site of the village school and the parish church were not all part of the same settlement.”

The statement added: “We say that the local communities such as Pontblyddyn need to be conserved by limited expansion such as we propose to bring additional residents in, in order to strengthen the social fabric.

“Church Terrace already provides a small number of small houses to rent and demand for them is high with a number of enquirers known to be interested.

“The site as proposed is visually not ‘open’ countryside but a residential garden containing a number of not particularly attractive residential sheds.

“The Council is urged not to simply rely on a rigid interpretation of planning policy and recognise that small departures such as this are worthy of its support.

“It will provide additional residential accommodation in an attractive rural area and in most sustainable location without causing any harm to interests of acknowledged importance.”

But the application was refused in a delegated decision by Flintshire Council’s chief planning officer Andrew Farrow.

The reason for refusal was given as the proposal being a non-essential, unjustified development in the open countryside without demonstrating that it would meet a local housing need.

By Rory Sheehan – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).