PLANNING permission has finally been issued to allow a controversial scheme to build 29 homes on the outskirts of Caersws to go ahead.
This follows confirmation from environment body, Natural Resources Wales (NRW) that they are satisfied with the conditions that will be placed on the development to build 29 homes at Pen-y-Borfa on the village outskirts could receive the go ahead.
The application was lodged by Towyn Marine Properties Ltd on behalf of the landowners Alwyn and Geraint Jarman in late 2023.
The site has been allocated for housing in the Local Development Plan and an outline planning application for 43 houses and sheltered accommodation at the site had been approved in 2020.
In 2023 an application to amend the approval by deleting the sheltered housing part of the proposal was refused.
At the time Powys planners advised that a new planning application would be needed to change the size of the development, and this was the application in front of councillors.
In February it was brought in front of Powys County Council’s Planning committee for a decision and was backed by the majority of councillors, but their decision has only now come into force.
In total 38 conditions have been placed on the planning permission which was formally issued by Powys County Council on Friday, April 25.
NRW planning development advisor Alex Homer said: “We have checked and note our recommended conditions in respect of securing finished flooring or level height and the submission of the pollution prevention plan prior to the commencement of the development have been included and are indeed adequate.”
This refers to condition 16 of the 38 – which states that the floor levels need to be 300 mm (millimetres) above adjacent ground levels.
The pollution plan is covered in condition eight.
Mr Homer continued: “We did also recommend a condition in respect of a Construction Management Phasing Plan (CMPP) which provides the detail of where materials will be stored throughout the preparation and construction phase of the development.
“Should the material be stored in any area at risk of flooding it must be stored as heaps and not in bunds to reduce any potential increased impacts of flooding to third parties.”
He adds that the material should be removed from the floodplain after construction work has finished.
Mr Homes said: “We feel this condition is necessary to reduce any potential increased flooding to third parties from materials stored onsite.
The CMPP is also covered by condition eight in the approval notice.
The decision dashes the hopes of local opponents to the scheme who believe it will cause flooding in the village.
A request to call in the application to be taken over by Welsh Government planning inspectors was turned down earlier this month (April) as PEDW (Planning and Environment Decision Wales) reached a decision of “non-intervention” on the application.
A sustainable drainage application still needs to be approved before the development can be built.
