Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Q1. First of all, I would like to comment on the consultation process established. I have found it very complex and very difficult to access. It would appear that you have a consultation system which actively discourages people from communicating with you in order to reduce the number of residents who give you feedback.

My main concerns are regarding the proposed development of housing to the north of Fontygary Road in Rhoose I would like to convey that I believe any such development would not just be extremely undesirable at the present time but would come at the cost of not just increasing travel delays but also an increased risk of road accidents including increased fatality risk.

The proposals show that Fonmon Road and Celtic Way will have both increased footfall and an increase in vehicle traffic as a result of this plan. I can only assume that whoever has come up with this plan does not live in the area and has no real experience of the actual situation on the ground. At present, pedestrians, both adult and schoolchildren, cyclists and vehicles of all kinds, not just cars, but bin lorries, buses and delivery vehicles attempt to go to and from Fontygary Road into Fonmon Road in order to access Fonmon Park Estate, Adenfield Way and its tributaries, and Court Farm Estate. The southern end of Fonmon Road where it joins Fontygary Road is often the scene of much congestion as it is not wide enough for two vehicles to pass one another. Pedestrians, including children on their way to and from School often have to manoeuvre around vehicles as there is no pavement, cyclists, often have to dismount to manoeuvre around vehicles. Increasing both pedestrian and vehicle traffic at this bottleneck is an accident waiting to happen. I assume that whoever has come up with this plan is prioritising what they believe to be housing needs before safety. In the summer months the many people out of the area who choose to visit Fontygary Bay and are unfamiliar with the area, increase the hazards of traffic at this location. The imposition of a 20 mile speed limit in the area has not improved the situation as there are often long delays at the traffic lights and drivers getting very frustrated

My second concern is the travel access to and from Rhoose. In the past residents have been told repeatedly that many forms of travel infrastructure will be improved. This has not occurred. There should be a complete halt on any further building work in Rhoose until improved travel infrastructure is actually completed. Too often we have been told that it is a part of the plan, but that part is then modified. Given the plan for increased airline traffic at Rhoose Airport, the new college which is being built alongside the airport, the plan for a development site at Model Farm, and the plans for development at the old Aberthaw Power station, and that the present transport infrastructure does not meet current needs let alone all these additional plans, to create even more residential development in Rhoose. It is simply to put the profit of building and selling houses ahead of the safety of the residents of the area.

Q2. There is a negative impact. This development will have a significant impact on the Welsh language. As there is not a shortage of housing in the area many of these homes are likely to be purchased by immigrants who have arrived in Wales and outnumber those struggling to maintain the language. Furthermore, there will be a significant increase in education costs in the area to provide multi-lingual support for those coming from other countries.

Recently, a significant quantity of raw sewage was surfacing and pooling under the railway bridge at Fontygary. This is not the first time this has occurred. It is also becoming a more frequent occurrence. We believe it was then overflowing in front of the chip shop and onto the grass towards Fontygary Park.
Welsh Water’s response to this was to blame the Vale of Glamorgan Council. They stated that the Vale Council were aware that the present sewage system is beyond capacity and that at times of high tide and heavy rain the system cannot handle the quantities of sewage entering the system. They stated that they are authorised to release raw sewage into the sea at Fontygary Bay at these times. They stated that while the Council continues to approve further building works with subsequent sewage entering the present system the situation will only further deteriorate.
Knowing this I believe that councillors have been irresponsible to allow any development (such as the new college at Rhoose Airport) before a new sewage system is put in place.
Given the public health risks of allowing sewage to overflow in this way, by making recommendations or decisions which will considerably worsen the situation, surely councillors and planning officers are deliberately exposing themselves to legal action. My main concern here is however the health risks needlessly increasing to the public.
I therefore object to any future developments in Rhoose until such time as a new sewage system is in place and has been given time to prove to work effectively.

We would also request that a member of the planning department reply to us by email and answer two questions:
1. Are they ignorant of the sewage backup/ capacity problems in Rhoose?
2. If they are aware of the current sewage problem how can they recommend any further building development in the Rhoose area?