Testun llawn:
The size of the development is completely overwhelming for the surrounding environment. The only viable access to the site will be from the main road. The use of Higher End and the rural lane over the railway bridge as access for motor vehicles for 600 dwellings is completely unachievable and unsafe.
600 dwellings would accommodate approx 1,500 more residents.
Together with the proposed Church Farm development of 532 dwellings, a total increase to St Athan's population of approx 3000 residents.
St Athan's current population of just over 4000 would make this an increase of 75% of the population.
MD4 of the old LDP and SP13 of the proposed new RLDP state the requirement of ensuring community infrastructure is not significantly compromised by new developments and ensures provision, improvement and long term maintenance of education and healthcare facilities.
Currently residents of St Athan have to regularly travel outside of St Athan to access healthcare from GPs due lack of access within the village. The proposals make no mention of improving the current resources for access to healthcare within the RLDP, and a further 3000 residents would severely impact current and future residents.
From the gov.uk website, 1000 homes typically includes 250 primary school age children and 130 secondary school age children.
There is mention of improving, developing and expanding St Athan primary school, but no mention of any further resources for Llantwit Major Comprehensive. Children from St Athan have little option for secondary education, as public transport to Cowbridge is not possible due to the nature of the rural lanes not being accessible for buses.
Along with proposed developments outlined in the RLDP for the surrounding areas, all of which are within the catchment of Llantwit Major Comprehensive, there would need to be additional development of this school in order to meet the increased needs.
"The delivery of new or improved infrastructure must be undertaken in a timely and coordinated manner to meet the needs of existing and planned communities prior to, or from the commencement of, the relevant phases of development."
This quote is taken from the proposed RLDP.
There would be a great demand for additional resources from the local council to both health care and education provision in St Athan in order to meet the requirements and mandate of the LDP, prior to any development being undertaken.
Section SSC1 of the RLDP discusses the size of the proposal to ensure the scale is appropriate and compatible with the layout, density and appearance of the existing settlement. A population increase of 75% would not be deemed appropriate or compatible with the current settlement of St Athan in terms of amenity or character of a rural village.
PGD2 Residential Development Densities
6.53 "In line with PPW, and Future Wales[7], Policy PGD2 supports the residential development at higher densities particularly where these proposals are located within urban centres and near major public transport nodes or interchanges and where these can assist in supporting local services and facilities. In such locations proposals that deliver residential densities of 50 dwellings per hectare and above will be encouraged where this would not lead to an adverse impact on the character of the area nor would undermine the wider placemaking and well-being objectives of the plan."
"Higher net densities will be supported where the development is in a location served by regular public transport and Active Travel routes, or near to services and facilities."
St Athan could not be regarded as having either regular public transport, an Active Travel route, nor has it services or facilities that could accommodate a population of over 7,000 residents.
In order to provide the services and facilities, the infrastructure would need to be in place that would change St Athan from a rural village to a town, changing the very nature of the existing settlement, in conflict with SSC1.
Settlement boundaries appear to be more mobile than in previous years with the definitions being altered and boundaries expanded.
6.25 "Settlement boundaries define the areas within which the principle of development would normally be acceptable, encouraging the efficient use and redevelopment of land and buildings and preventing the spread of new development in the open countryside."
6.26 "Settlement boundaries defined the extent of build development where development would normally be allowed, and areas of the countryside and areas of more sporadic buildings, which are considered less suitable for new development, and where a more restrictive approach will be applied. For the purposes of the plan, areas outside of the defined boundaries that are not allocated or protected for specific uses are defined as ‘countryside’, where a more restrictive approach will be applied".
Both Church Farm development and Land West of St Athan fall into the parameters of sites less suitable for new development by being areas of farmland and countryside.
