Testun llawn:
1) On the public consultation: - As Rhoose, St. Athan and Dinas Powys are the affected settlements, the documentation should have been made available in their community run libraries. The council officers present at the public consultation meetings were not well enough briefed to answer the questions raised and could therefore only serve as a sounding board for the frustrations expressed.
2) The proposed development of 520 properties in Readers Way should not be considered in isolation. This development along with the development of 339 properties already approved in Rhoose, on land north of the railway line (east) HG1 (9), plus the proposals for 376 properties at N.W. Barry (KS1) and a further 1132 in St. Athan (KS4 and KS5) totals 2367 new dwellings. This will have a significant impact on the local residents in the pressure it will put upon the existing highway infrastructure and facilities available.
3) The highway infrastructure will be put under further strain due to the need for students to travel to the Cardiff and Vale College currently under construction next to the airport. In addition, the future development of the proposed Energy Park at Aberthaw and ongoing development of the St. Athan Enterprise zone and Cardiff Airport Business Park, along with the potential development at Model Farm will also add to the number of vehicles. Initial construction traffic will be followed by commuting traffic as employees travel to these places of work.
4) The A4226 Port Road forms the main route between St. Athan, Rhoose and Barry. The surrounding country lanes are not capable of absorbing the additional pressure and are not well maintained. Delays which already occur in the vicinity of Waycock Cross roundabout will only become more frequent. Options to improve this junction are clearly limited meaning that it will remain a bottle neck.
5) The proposals rely heavily on the concept of a public transport infrastructure replacing the use of private vehicles and thereby easing the pressure on the highways. This public transport infrastructure is however not in place, with both the train and bus services only operating on an hourly basis. It is clear that there is no guarantee that the train service, which is under the control of Transport for Wales (T.F.W), will be made more frequent in the future. Likewise, the provision of land at St. Athan for a possible new station could end up being a white elephant unless T.F.W. commit to both providing a new station and increasing the frequency of trains. An hourly service acts as a real disincentive to people using public transport as using your own vehicle provides far more flexibility.
6) Active Travel is also being promoted both within the Readers Way development and in the surrounding area. It is clear that the active travel routes both in Rhoose, to Lower Porthkerry and elsewhere, are underutilised. Walking or cycling to places does not fit in with the lives that people are living as time is precious. It is questionable as to how many people will opt to walk or cycle the distance into the centre of the village/town to access the local facilities rather than using their cars to either shop in Rhoose or at the supermarkets in Barry. Many working parentstaking their children to and from school will not have time to make a return journey and neither will people want to be carrying shopping over that distance. As such, further pressure will be put on the only main route through Rhoose ie. Rhoose/ Fontygary Road with on street parking already causing issues especially around school opening and closing times. Ironically this development will provide another route through Rhoose, but with residences all around has been designed to stop it being used as such.
7) It is wrong that Rhoose is expected to have an ever-expanding population without an infrastructure to cater for it. Three branch Doctor surgeries mean that doctor appointments often have to be obtained elsewhere. The library relies on volunteers and fund raising to remain open having had its council funding withdrawn. Rwys Primary will require further expansion to cater for the increase numbers and more pupils will have to take buses to their secondary education elsewhere.
8) Rhoose is hemmed in by the airport and sea and with an expanding quarry encroaching to the west of Fonmon Road. As such the maintenance of its green spaces is important for both the physical and mental wellbeing of its residents. Readers Way as with the other proposed developments are on greenfield sites. If the development goes ahead. the layout of the site should aim to maximise the retention of the existing trees and hedgerows both during and after development. There should be a requirement that any planted trees are maintained and replaced by the developer if they do not survive over a ten-year period. No consideration appears to have been given to planting trees around the edge of the development, which would both reduce its impact on the neighbouring properties and increase the tree cover in an area known for its lack of trees, hence why the group Rhoose Replant have been working to counter this. The public open space should be used to provide biodiversity mitigation and also to enhance it. A wildlife corridor should be provided linking the new public open space with the area around the existing pond and a second pond should be provided to increase the possibility of the newts returning.
9) It is important that plans for the public open space are delivered. The allotments appear to have replaced an earlier proposed community orchard or garden. How would these be managed? No pond is shown. The sports provision appears to consist of three pitches. Who would maintain and use them especially as there is already this provision at Ceri Road along with a club house building. Overall, the plans are unimaginative especially in light of the s106 funding that should be available as a result of the development which could be invested in the area
10) I question why the Vale of Glamorgan Council is choosing this option whilst ruling out developing a new town at Llandow, even though this could be built as fit for purpose. No consideration either seems to have been given to expanding Penarth, Cowbridge or Llantwit Major and other areas of Barry, all of which have the infrastructure to support a growing population. The inhabitants of these places are benefiting from the engagement offered by the placemaking initiative programme. Rhoose is excluded from this and yet is expected to take more than its fair share of housing with little to show for it.
