Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Q1: I live at 18 Cardiff Road and regularly witness the traffic conditions in this area. During rush hour, traffic backs up from the lights by the Merrie Harrier Hotel and extends past my house. Even outside of peak times, there is frequently a long queue of cars along Cardiff Road heading towards the Merrie Harrier.

From what I understand, the proposed development will have an exit onto Cardiff Road close to the traffic lights at the Merrie Harrier. I do not believe sufficient consideration has been given to the impact this will have on what is already a severely congested road. Introducing another access point so close to the lights, combined with additional vehicles from the new houses attempting to merge, will inevitably worsen the situation. Traffic, which already stretches beyond my property, will extend even further, creating wider disruption and potentially gridlocking the area.

Unless a new main road is constructed to improve access in and out of Dinas Powys, adding more homes and therefore more vehicles, particularly during peak hours is simply not sustainable.

In addition to the traffic concerns, I am extremely worried about flooding. My home is already at risk, which has significantly affected both its value and my insurance premiums. My partner and his family have lived in this house for over 30 years and never experienced issues with rainfall or flooding. However, after the previous housing development near Cross Common Road was built, properties across the road suffered internal flooding, and my garden which fortunately slopes downwards also flooded.

This raises serious concerns that further development in the area will increase surface water run-off and exacerbate flooding problems.

I would also question whether adequate consideration has been given to local infrastructure, particularly schools and the doctor S surgery. The medical centre in Dinas Powys is already under considerable strain. Having lived in several areas across the Vale and in Cardiff over the past eight years, and as a parent of two young children, I have had frequent contact with GP surgeries. Dinas Powys Medical Centre has, by far, been the most difficult to access. There are long queues first thing in the morning just to attempt to secure an emergency appointment, and even when I have managed to get through, all appointments have often already been taken. On several occasions, I have had to wait weeks simply to speak to a GP, and even then only via telephone.

While I understand the pressures that GP surgeries are under nationally, I have not experienced this level of difficulty elsewhere. Increasing the population without significantly improving local services will only intensify these existing problems.

Q2: No comment.