On the 8th of February, members of the Waunfawr Community organised an online meeting to discuss the proposed housing development on land adjoining Hafan y Waun, Waunfawr. Community Councillors and County Councillors were in attendance to listen to questions and concerns raised by residents of Waunfawr and Llanbadarn Fawr. Also in attendance was Amanda Jenner, the Welsh Conservative Senedd Candidate for Ceredigion.
Commenting on the points raised during the meeting, Amanda said:
“I would like to thank the meeting organisers for giving me the opportunity to listen in. From listening to residents, it is clear that there are numerous community concerns about the development. Although I appreciate the need for more housing - especially housing that will fulfil local needs - suitable brownfield sites must not be overlooked. Just because a site is identified for housing on the Local Development Plan (LDP), does not mean that any application for development on that site will be suitable. LDP planning applications should still be considered on their individual merits, and local communities should still be able to meaningfully engage with consultations.
“It is also important for traffic impact assessments to be reflective of normal circumstances. I was concerned to hear that an assessment may have been done during the pandemic when the roads were quieter than usual. Having lived in Llanbadarn Fawr, I know the congestion in this area is already a cause for concern.”
Another key issue about this potential development is the concern it could worsen the local flood risk, especially for residents of Llanbadarn Fawr. Many objections on the Council Planning portal refer to the flooding as a concern, with some arguing that the development site acts as a “sump”. Natural Resources Wales (NRW), the body responsible for managing flood risk in Wales, have not objected to this application.
Responding to this point, Amanda added:
“NRW needs to provide the details of their assessment on the flood risk posed by this development. To ensure that flood risk is reduced and managed, it is essential that NRW take on board local knowledge and engage with concerned residents. If they do not do this when formulating planning responses for decision-makers, then the question must be asked - is NRW fit for purpose in its current form? I shall be speaking with my colleagues in the Senedd to highlight this.”
The deadline for responding to the planning application is 4th March 2021. Responses can be submitted online or by post. The address for the planning office is: Planning Department, Canolfan Rheidol, Rhodfa Padarn, Llanbadarn Fawr, Aberystwyth, Ceredigion. SY23 3UE
