Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Site Reference HG1 KS2 - 250 New Houses in Dinas Powys

I am writing to raise a formal objection to any further large scale housing development in Dinas Powys. The proposal represents overdevelopment and would cause significant and unacceptable harm to the village’s character, infrastructure, environment, and essential public services. These concerns fall within recognised material planning considerations, including design and character, traffic and highways, pressure on local services, flood risk and environmental impact, and policy conflict.

TRAFFIC & HIGHWAYS IMPACT:

Dinas Powys already experiences severe and chronic congestion on a daily basis. The village functions as a through route, with long queues forming along Cardiff Road throughout the day.

The proposed development could add around 500 additional vehicles, yet no highway upgrades are planned or proposed. This increased traffic volumes has not been recognised or taken seriously.

Continual development west of Dinas Powys will further compromise highway safety, reduce traffic flow efficiency, and exacerbate gridlock—issues the existing road network cannot absorb.

OVERSTRETCHED SCHOOLS & EDUCATIONAL IMPACT:

As a former Parent Governor at Dinas Powys Primary School, I have direct knowledge that the school was already oversubscribed five years ago. A development of this scale could result in 250–750 additional children, for whom there is no available capacity. Pressure on education systems should be a recognised planning concern when assessing the sustainability of new development.

Without substantial, funded expansion of local schools—which is not proposed—the development will undermine access to statutory education provision.

OVERCAPACITY AT THE LOCAL GP SURGERY:

Dinas Powys Medical Centre is already at or beyond capacity following three major housing developments in the past decade and a significant influx of patients from closed GP practices in Penarth.

Further development will deteriorate access to healthcare, an essential public service. The impact on community amenity and local services is a clear material planning consideration.

This proposal would directly and negatively affect residents' ability to obtain GP appointments in a timely and safe manner.

Flood Risk and Environmental Harm: Flooding in parts of Dinas Powys has increased significantly in recent years. Any additional development upstream will increase surface water run off into local watercourses, worsening existing flood risk for homes already identified as vulnerable.

Flooding and environmental impact are recognised material grounds for objection. However, the current plan fails to acknowledge or address this long standing and unresolved issue.

This omission exposes existing residents—including my own property—to heightened risk.

Rail Capacity and Travel Overload: With road networks already over capacity, many residents rely on rail services. However:
• Trains arriving at Eastbrook Station are already frequently full at peak times
• Additional residents will worsen crowding and reduce accessibility

Transport pressures, particularly on public transport infrastructure, form a material planning concern. The proposal offers no mitigation for the inevitable increase in rail demand.

Harm to Village Character, Setting, and Landscape: I believe the proposed housing estate will cause harm to local character, landscape setting, and heritage which I feel is a valid planning objection.

Another large housing estate would:
• Permanently alter the historic landscape that defines Dinas Powys
• Erode the rural setting and village scale
• Introduce development incompatible with the surrounding area

This proposal would go against Green Belt objectives which aim to preserve the setting and special character of historic towns.

In conclusion, this development represents unsustainable, inappropriate, and unacceptable overdevelopment of Dinas Powys. It will:
• Intensify traffic congestion
• Overwhelm local schools and GP services
• Increase flood risk
• Strain rail and transport systems
• Harm the village’s established character and landscape

I therefore formally object in the strongest possible terms and request that the concerns of residents are listened to and addressed directly.