HOUSE building targets for Caerphilly County Borough have been missed every year since 2008, with a shortfall of more than 3,000 homes.
Over the past 16 years, 5,588 homes have been built – which is 35% less than the council’s target of 8,625.
Currently, the council has a target of building 575 homes in the county borough – this includes council-built, social housing, and private sector built homes.
According to the Annual Monitoring Report (AMR) which was published in October 2022, the trend of under-delivering on the annual requirement of 575 homes is expected to continue until 2027.
The council are required to publish an AMR which assesses the extent to which the Local Development Plan’s (LDP) strategy and policies are being achieved.
An LDP is a blueprint used by planners, councillors and developers, which maps out how an area should develop. It also sets the number of houses required to be built annually.
Caerphilly Council has been told to re-think its second replacement LDP by the Welsh Government, therefore until its replaced the council’s annual requirement of 575 homes will remain.
Credit: CCBC
Cllr Philippa Leonard, cabinet member with responsibility for planning, said: “In the period until the second replacement LDP is adopted, the council will continue to proactively address the shortfall.
“This includes considering proposals for new residential development on their relative planning merits on a site by site basis, in line with national planning policy and guidance; utilising innovative funding models to bring forward council-owned sites; identifying potential regeneration projects for housing and employment; and prioritising affordable and council-led developments on brownfield sites to help preserve the natural environment; whilst also working to ensure new developments comply with high environmental standards to help address the climate emergency.”
The report also found the council had failed to hit its target of delivering 964 affordable homes between 2006 and 2021. It states: “The policy is failing to deliver as anticipated and intervention measures should be considered.”
Housebuilding has seen “significant impact” from the economic crash, according to the report. It adds that build rates have deteriorated.
Several large sites are currently being developed and are expected to contribute to a total of 625 houses being built in 2023/24.
These include Hawtin Meadows in Pontllanfraith, Pandy Road in Bedwas, Hendredenny in Caerphilly and the former Bedwellty School site in Aberbargoed, in addition to housing association schemes Cwm Ifor Primary School in Caerphilly and Eastview Terrace in Bargoed.
But, house building is expected to drop beneath the annual requirement of 575 from 2024/25 until 2026/27.
The fact the council is falling behind on its house-building targets has been included in council planning officers’ reports for two planning applications this week.
On Wednesday April 12 the planning committee was presented with proposals for housing developments in Trinant and Aberbargoed, both of which are greenfield sites.
In the reports, the council’s missed targets were used to support the officers’ recommendations that planning permission should be granted.
Independent councillor Nigel Dix criticised the development of both greenfield sites and said the council should encourage the development of brownfield sites, such as the Aberbargoed Plateau.
