PLANS have been submitted to turn industrial buildings in Merthyr Tydfil into housing.
The application for Bryntaf Garage in Aberfan would see industrial buildings demolished and 20 units built, made up of 14 houses and six flats.
The planning statement says the site includes a privately-owned parcel of land used for commercial purposes with a car repair garage and roofing contractors.
A similar application was lodged in 2021 for 20 units and the council failed to determine it.
The appeal was dismissed because the planning inspector felt the proposed front block was too high and did not respect the character of buildings on the street.
The inspector also felt the front block would have a negative impact on the amenity of residents at an adjoining dwelling – Springfield House.
The current application has been amended to address these issues raised, the planning statement says.
The front block has been reduced by one storey and a landscape buffer has been introduced between the front block and Springfield House.
As a result, the proposal “better reflects the scale of buildings in the surrounding area and reduces the impact on Springfield House”.
Access to the site is from Bryntaf, which would be enhanced, and the planning statement said it is considered the housing scheme is likely to generate less traffic than the current industrial uses.
It also said the plans indicate in the region of 58 parking spaces for the 20 units can be accommodated but as this is an outline application, the parking provision would not be agreed at this stage.
The planning statement says the proposal “will provide a sustainable form of development in an accessible location”.
It also said there is a need for more housing, it would involve the use of previously developed (brownfield) land and it is considered there would be improvements to the amenity of residents nearby.
There has been a consultation with the public and statutory consultees, with three people saying they would continue to object to the proposed development.
The planning statement says Welsh Water said it has no objection for the domestic foul flows generated from this development to connect to the public sewerage system.
It also said the feedback from The Coal Authority was that the site falls within the development high risk area with information indicating coal mining has taken place beneath the site at shallow depth and the site lies in an area outcropping coal seams which may have been subject to historic unrecorded mining activity.
The Coal Authority said any planning application should be supported by a Coal Mining Risk Assessment, which the planning statement says is lodged with the application.
