Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Representation – Policy HG4 (3) Land at Heol Fain, Wick

I object to the allocation of Land at Heol Fain (HG4 (3)) on the grounds that vehicular access via Heol Fain would be unsafe, unsustainable, and would require unacceptable alteration of a rural lane.

Heol Fain is a narrow rural road with no pavements, continuous hedgerows on both sides, and effective single-vehicle running width in places. It is not built to adoptable residential standards and cannot safely accommodate traffic associated with approximately 50 dwellings, including peak hour flows, service vehicles, refuse collection and emergency access.

To make Heol Fain compliant would require significant widening, removal of established hedgerows, land acquisition from adjoining private fields, and the introduction of urban infrastructure such as footways and lighting. This would fundamentally change the rural character of the lane and conflict with Planning Policy Wales principles requiring development to respect local character and landscape setting.

There are currently no pedestrian facilities on Heol Fain. Future residents would be required to walk within the carriageway alongside vehicle movements unless extensive engineering works were undertaken. This conflicts with sustainable transport principles and the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013.

The Deposit Plan does not demonstrate that safe, policy-compliant access can be achieved without substantial off-site highway works that would materially alter the character of Heol Fain. In the absence of clear evidence that access can be delivered safely and without unacceptable environmental harm, the allocation is not sound.

I request that the allocation be removed unless it can be clearly demonstrated that safe and compliant access can be achieved without widening or urbanising Heol Fain, or that the Plan be amended to confirm that vehicular access will not be taken via Heol Fain.

thanks