Big Village Update!

This is a quick update about the various planning applications affecting the village right now...

Hawarden Road

Application for 32 Houses

As a village, we defended this application successfully! The planning committee this week voted refusal, against the recommendation of the Flintshire Planning Department. The developer has the right to appeal the decision. 

There were over 165 written objections – which is fantastic and made a real difference to how the committee viewed the application. THANK YOU! We need the same show of strength in these new applications:

Rhos Road (North)  Ref.057396

Application for 40 Houses
DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS:
27th September
Please write with your comments

We are reviewing the plans at the moment and will update. 


CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND PICTURES

Rhos Road (South)  Ref. 057388

Application for 36 retirement apartments
NOT YET OPEN FOR COMMENTS

This proposal is outside of Flintshire's plan and outside of our settlement boundary (as Hawarden Road and Chester Road were). We are currently asking for no more development ahead of the LDP process which will be completed in 2019.

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND IMAGES

CLICK ON THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND IMAGES

Redrow Chester Road

We are preparing for the appeal in November. More details to follow.

There were over 300 written objections – which, along with the questionnaire results from November provided plenty of evidence to persuade both planning officers and committee.

New School Update (unofficial)

After the public consultation in July and feedback from the Community Council, residents, pupils, teachers and governors, the 21st Century Schools team, supported by Flintshire’s CEO, have reviewed the plans and agreed to extra funding if necessary to support this updated design.

This is a preview, more details will be shared soon:

The front entrance of the school

The front entrance of the school

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 The feedback covered 4 main points:

1. Traffic concerns
A traffic impact survey is being conducted right now (including all the side and link roads) and will be completed and published after the 22nd Sept. The planning process will not move on until that report has been considered.

2. The positioning of the school in relation to neighbouring properties
The team reviewed different options on the site, moving the building to the centre of the plot and swapping the school and football pitch. None of these options were suitable for the needs of the school or practical physically or for the budget.

3.  The design, specifically the flat roof, materials and bright colours and not fitting into the local environment.
The new plans have returned to an earlier design with pitched roof and gable ends – the one closer to neighbours is lower in height. The red colour has been toned down and is only used in the entrance areas. All the materials are natural in appearance.

4. The sustainability of the building
Details were provided of the plans for natural ventilation and solar energy capture and storage.

What happens next?
Flintshire schools team will take the revised plans to Cardiff to present the business case for the school before submitting an application for planning permission. Residents will have the opportunity to comment again once the application is made.

Hanson Cement

Application to expand the plant

DEADLINE FOR COMMENTS
15TH SEPTEMBER

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

CLICK THE IMAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION

The plans include:
- installing a new mill
- mothballing (not removing) existing mills
- adding a new rail loading area
- movement of some finished product by rail rather than road

Hanson’s submission says that the expansion will protect jobs.

We are not anti-development but right now we are trying to prevent the village being swamped - there are nearly 300 houses in the planning system in our village right now and there has been no infrastructure improvements since the last 400 were added. 

There is a lot happening in and around the village right now - we will be holding a public meeting very soon to go through everything.

Thank you!


 

Plans for a retirement village

Full planning permission has now been submitted for a development of 36 over-55's retirement apartments off Rhos Road. It is not yet open for comments.

artistsimpression.jpg

 

This is sited on land opposite the Rhos Road site which was recently given planning approval, on appeal, for 40 homes. There is a small plot of additional land between this site and the A550 which has been included in the LDP candidate register - this means that someone would like to develop the land under the Local Development Plan, but details are not known and it may not be considered.

What is in the plan?

The proposal is for:

12 one bedroom apartments
24 two bedroom apartments of which 4 are slightly larger

siteplan1.jpg

 

The site would include:
- a communal 'hub;' building,
- allotments,
- 36 allocated car park spaces,
- 8 garages,
- landscaped gardens,
- a pumping station
- fitness trail

The developer has proposed that the site should provide 'nil' affordable housing contribution.

Future residents will have to pay a site management fee to contribute to the ongoing management and maintenance of the shared facilities and ownership will be limited to over-55s only.

The Community Council and Community Development Group will be meeting to discuss the designs and implications for the village.

The proposal will be open for public consultation shortly and is expected at planning committee in October or more likely November.

Rhos+Road+applications.png

This map shows the location (the submission has revised the number of apartments to 36 from 32 originally consulted on). The site across Rhos Road has already received outline planning permission and the developers have submitted the next stage of their plans. The red blocks show potential future sites.

Is Our Village Defenceless?

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We are dismayed at the decision of Flintshire planners to ignore their own policies, 165 objections from residents, our local Councillors, Community Councillors and our local Place Plan, in recommending that this application is approved.

The same planners in April accepted that Penyffordd has made its contribution to housing and welcomed the evidence of the harm and un-sustainbility recent overdevelopment has caused. Now all of that is being ignored.

It's not over yet though.

The planning committee meet on Wednesday (1:00pm at County Hall if you can make it to show support). The proposal went before them in July and our Councillors managed to get the committee to vote for deferral so that the omissions in the report could be addressed and a site visit arranged. 

SITE VISIT
That site visit is happening on Monday 4th Sept at 11:00am - on Hawarden Road.

The committee have the power to refuse the application.

BUT IT'S ONLY 32 HOUSES?
If you are thinking that (as the planning officers seem to be) then think again - the application for 32 retirement apartments on Rhos Road has just gone into planning - we will have 28 days to comment and then it will go to committee - either in October or November.

And, the application for 40 houses on Rhos Road has gone back into planning in the next stage ahead of construction starting. 

Then in November there is a public inquiry to be held in the village over the 186 houses on Chester Road - we are seriously concerned that this decision by Flintshire planners will prejudice that decision too.

There are 300 houses live in the planning system in our village right now - smaller developments add up!

4 WAYS TO HELP

1. Come to Hawarden Road at 11:00 on Monday 4th Sept for the Committee site visit

2. Come to the planning committee on Wednesday 1:00pm County Hall - we are first on the agenda

3. Sign the petition to have our Place Plan adopted by Flintshire County:

https://podio.com/webforms/18583340/1250506

4. Write to the head of planning at Flintshire and the chief exec - these are their email addresses:

andrew.farrow@flintshire.gov.uk
chief.executive@flintshire.gov.uk

And these are the email addresses of the planning committee who will make the decision:

QUOTE this in all correspondence: Hawarden Road, Penyffordd, Ref: 056694

neville.phillips@flintshire.gov.uk
mike.peers@flintshire.gov.uk
billy.mullin@flintshire.gov.uk
richard.lloyd@flintshire.gov.uk
christine.m.jones@flintshire.gov.uk
kevin.hughes@flintshire.gov.uk
dave.hughes@flintshire.gov.uk
patrick.heesom@flintshire.gov.uk
veronica.gay@flintshire.gov.uk
david.evans@flintshire.gov.uk
carol.ellis@flintshire.gov.uk
ian.dunbar@flintshire.gov.uk
adele.davies-cooke@flintshire.gov.uk
davidcox3b@gmail.com
derek.butler@flintshire.gov.uk
robert.c.bithell@talk21.com
sean.bibby@flintshire.gov.uk
marion.bateman@flintshire.gov.uk
owen.thomas@flintshire.gov.uk
bernie.attridge@flintshire.gov.uk
aaron.shotton@flintshire.gov.uk
david.wisinger@flintshire.gov.uk

 

 

 

 

Hawarden Road - Planning (again)

This application (reference 056694) for 32 houses on Hawarden Road will now be heard at the planning committee on the 6th September at 1:00pm - County Hall, Mold. If you can make it there, support would be very much appreciated.

A fuller explanation of what is happening and why this is so important will follow later.

 

One Year On - 5 things we have learned

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It's just about a year since we started this website to share updates about the Community and our Community Place Plan. It has been an eventful year with a lot going on in the village. These are 5 things we have learned...

Monthly website visits

1. Penyffordd is a great place to live
The more you get to know the people, the businesses, groups, organisations, enthusiasts, teams and the place, the more you realise how lucky we are to live here!

2. The People of Penyffordd are very interested in what's is happening
In the past year there have been over 14,000 pages viewed on this website. Hundreds of people attending each of the Village Meetings at the Legion. Over 500 people took the time to write to object to planning applications; 800 people completed the village questionnaire. So far hundreds of people have signed the petition to have our Village 'Place' Plan adopted - if you haven't signed it, please do it now:

3. Our efforts pay off
Among the issues that have come up in the past year have been:
- improving the noticeboards - a new once has been erected on Wellhouse Drive and all three (Jemoleys, Dobshill and Wellhouse Drive) are being updated regularly.
- Position of the Community Transport Bus Stops. Residents, Community Group and local councillors combined to challenge the council on the siting of the bus stops and getting them changed.
- Council Houses on Westview. There was a plan to build council houses on the and behind West View at the top of the village - that was quickly challenged and the site withdrawn.
- The proposed battery farm close to the station was withdrawn after pressure from the community
- Our pressure contributed to a policy clarification from the Welsh Minister which has meant 17 houses in Northop and 56 houses in Rhosrobin being refused permission. We believe these would both have gone through without the clarification.
- Our Community Place Plan has been written and now adopted by our own Community Council, we just need Flintshire County Council to do the same.

4. The Housing Battles Continue
We have seen off one application for housing on Bank Farm - that has been withdrawn
We won a unanimous refusal from the planning committee on Redrow. We just have the appeal to fight now.
We are waiting news on the Rhos Road applications - 40 have outline permission and 32 have been through pre-consultation.
The Hawarden Road application decision (to recommend approval) is being challenged by our own councillors.

5. There are big things happening
There is the new school - consultation ends on the 7th August.
Expansion plans at Hanson Cement - due to go into planning soon.
What happens to the old school site to be determined.
Plans for the extension and upgrading of the Memorial Institute.
Flintshire will publish the next part of their Local Development Plan in September, which will include sites in the village which they believe meet their 'spatial' strategy and an update on Warren Hall.

Thank you!
So after a year in which the community has drawn together and protested vocally and persuasively to make our village a better place, we just need to say thank you to everyone who has been involved so far - visited the website, commented on Facebook, completed a questionnaire, attended the village meetings, signed the petition, posted leaflets, put up posters, attending planning committee or stood with a placard - thank you all.


 

New School - We must get it right

We are all very excited about the long awaited prospect of a new school for the village. Cindy, David and our Community Council have done a fantastic job getting our village onto the 21st Century School programme with Flintshire and Welsh Government.

A significant number of residents and the Community Council have expressed concern about the proposed design.

The Community Council have met with the Chief Exec of Flintshire County Council, the Flintshire Schools team, the construction company and the architect and expressed concern about these aspects of the proposal:

1.     The appearance is of an industrial building not in keeping with the rural nature of the village. Requests were made to review the roof design to add a pitch roof to soften the appearance (as it was in the original plan) and also to favour natural materials and colours on the outside of the building, such as stone, wood or slate.

2.     There are real concerns about the transport plan and traffic access for drop off and pick up. It is likely that a traffic impact survey will be needed, if enough residents express concerns in the consultation process. The survey will take into account traffic from both school sites and the impact on local residents as well as the need for children in Penymynydd to cross main roads to get to the school. The survey would have to be carried out once the schools are back in September. If you didn't complete the transport survey, please do it now: 
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/X6MQBQF

3.     There are concerns about the location of the school building within the site and how overbearing it is on neighbouring houses. The site is very restricted due to:

-       Existing established trees

-       The need to keep the current school operation during the build

-       Covenants to protect the football pitch

The Council are reviewing the football pitch convenant to understand whether it can be relocated within the same site and also whether the loss of some trees would enable a better siting of the school building.

THERE ARE NO PROMISES THAT ANY CHANGES WILL BE MADE TO THE PLANS -THE COUNCIL AND CONSTRUCTION COMPANY AGREED TO RE-LOOK AT THE LAYOUT AND READ ALL OF THE FEEDBACK FROM THIS CONSULTATION BEFORE TAKING A VIEW,

Reassurances were given about some aspects of the plan:

-       The building will meet the highest sustainable measures and will include solar panels.

-       The hedgerow adjacent to the public footpath along Abbots Lane will not be removed other than where the site access is planned and which later will become the pedestrian access point.

-       The football pitch is secure and its use by the school is part of the space requirements and will be safe in the long term

Importantly, we were reassured by the Chief Executive that funding for the school is not threatened by asking for changes. The school will be co-funded by the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools project and Flintshire County Council. 

The new school site has been agreed – on Abbots Lane
The Flintshire schools team have consulted with the school teachers, pupils and governors. They are currently consulting with the wider community before the designs are submitted to planning for permission in September or October.

The plan is for the new school to be constructed behind the existing school building on Abbots Lane meaning that the old school will remain open throughout the build.

The Council are aiming to have the new school ready for 2019.

WE REALLY NEED PEOPLE TO FEEDBACK THEIR OPINIONS AND OBSERVATIONS - GOOD AND BAD.

Public concerns that have been raised so far include:
- TRAFFIC AND VEHICLE ACCESS
- BEING OVERLOOKED
- COLOUR / DESIGN / NATURAL MATERIALS
- FLAT ROOF

Please feel free to make your own observations and comments before the deadline.

PLEASE EMAIL YOUR FEEDBACK TO: 
21stcenturyschools@flintshire.gov.uk

Feedback before the 7th August.

We have a once in a generation opportunity to get this right for the community.

We would like to thank Colin Everett and representatives from Wynne Construction, the architects and Flintshire schools for giving up their free time to come and talk to the Community Council.

Hawarden Road - Planning Update

No decision has yet been taken.

Because a number of policy and appeal references were missed out of the original report and there had been no site inspection; our County Councillors, David Williams and Cindy Hinds, appealed to members of the committee to ask them to vote for deferral.

That means it will go back to committee potentially in either October or November but in the meantime further discussion will take place with the planning department and a site visit will be arranged nearer the time.

Many thanks to the villagers, Community Councillors and children(!) who attended at County Hall to show their support.

 

Hawarden Road - Bad News

The Flintshire planning officers are recommending 'Approval' when the application for 32 houses goes to planning committee next week. The planning officers' assessment is based on 'planning considerations'  and strangely contradicts much of what was said by the planning officer when recommending refusal of the Redrow application in April.

The planning officer who has made the recommendation is apparently on holiday next week and with the very short notice of the committee our County Councillors have requested that the application is removed from the agenda. If that is not successful, then we need a show of force from the village to demonstrate the strength of feeling in the community.

165 public objections were received and 4 letters in support. These were the words of the Head of Lifelong Learning (schools) in the planning report:
"Advises that insufficient capacity would result from the proposals at the local primary school (Penyffordd C.P School) Advises that the nearest Secondary School is Castell Alun High School, which has insufficient capacity and would therefore be affected by the proposals." The solution to these comments is to recommend that payment of funds to the schools.

The concern is that a precedent will be set ahead of the planning inspector's inquiry into the Redrow application - the possible outcome is that Hawarden Road is approved AND it adds to the possibility that the Redrow appeal is successful.

This will be the first time that planning have recommended approval on an application OUTSIDE a settlement boundary in Penyffordd and we believe anywhere in Flintshire. In previous cases they have recommended refusal in Mynydd Isa and elsewhere and then lost on appeal.

Penyffordd remains Flintshire's highest growth settlement.

You can read the full officers report here >>>

We do need houses in Penyffordd
The reality is that there is a need for some new houses in Penyffordd - no one is suggesting that we should block all future growth.

Welsh Government policy assumes that County Councils prepare a plan for the housing that is need, of what type and where it should be built - that plan is done in consultation with statutory bodies, like water, health, schools etc. and with the public. It is only because Flintshire have not got their plan ready in time that these ad-hoc proposals are allowed at all.

In addition to the 4 active applications (Redrow Chester Road, Hawarden Road, Rhos Road north and south), the Council themselves are planning affordable or council houses in both Penyffordd and Dobshill.

The Community Place Plan sets out plans for up to 10% growth, between now and 2030 and describes the type of housing needed by the community, including affordable homes and those suitable for first time buyers and the elderly.

We believe that with the policy clarification received from Lesley Griffith AC/AM, Welsh Minister responsible for planning, the body of objection from the community, the evidence provided via the Questionnaire and Place Plan, that Flintshire County Council had sufficient weight to overturn the technicality presented by the lack of a 5-year housing land supply in Flintshire (the reason given for recommending approval). 

Please show your support by attending the Committee next Wednesday 1:00pm at County Hall - they ran out of seats for us in April!