Testun llawn:
I object to the proposed allocation of Key Site HG1 KS2 for residential development within the Deposit Replacement Local Development Plan.
This allocation conflicts with the fundamental purpose of the Green Wedge designation between Dinas Powys, Penarth and Llandough. The Green Wedge exists to prevent coalescence between settlements, preserve open countryside, maintain settlement identity and protect undeveloped land from incremental urban expansion. Development of approximately 250 dwellings on this site would significantly erode the physical and visual separation between Dinas Powys and Llandough. Once that separation is diminished, it cannot be restored.
The RLDP’s own evidence base acknowledges the importance of maintaining Green Wedges to protect settlement integrity. Yet HG1 KS2 sits squarely within this protected designation. Furthermore, the Candidate Site Stage 2 Assessment Register rejected other nearby sites within the same Green Wedge (including sites overlapping geographically) on the basis that development would harm its integrity. The progression of HG1 KS2 despite these comparable constraints represents an inconsistency within the evidence base that calls into question the justification for this allocation.
Beyond Green Wedge harm, the site raises serious infrastructure and resilience concerns.
Dinas Powys has a documented history of flooding. The railway corridor through the village lies at one of its lowest points. During heavy rainfall events, the brook rises significantly and train services are already suspended during storms. If the brook were to overtop or drainage systems fail, the railway would likely flood, rendering both village stations unusable. This undermines any argument that rail provision mitigates the transport impact of development.
Surface water drainage infrastructure beneath Cardiff Road is of historic construction and was recorded as being overwhelmed during the December 2020 flood event, as confirmed in the Vale of Glamorgan Section 19 Technical Report. The flooding mechanism identified in that report originated from elevated land to the north and northwest of the village — the same direction as the proposed HG1 KS2 allocation. This demonstrates that the existing drainage network is already operating under capacity constraints. It was not designed to accommodate current traffic volumes or the increasing rainfall intensity associated with climate change. Expanding impermeable surfaces north of the village would increase surface water runoff into a system that has previously failed under extreme conditions. National data indicates that approximately one in nine new homes are already being built in flood-prone areas. Allocating additional housing in a catchment with documented surface water flooding and constrained drainage infrastructure is inconsistent with the precautionary approach embedded within national planning policy.
Traffic congestion is already severe. Cardiff Road functions as the primary spine through the village and experiences daily peak-time gridlock. The only meaningful alternative route is via Pen-y-Turnpike Road. When accidents or obstructions occur on that road, traffic diverts through the centre of the village and movement becomes severely restricted, effectively isolating the settlement. Introducing 250 additional dwellings would generate substantial vehicle trips into a network that lacks resilience and redundancy.
Air quality is also a material concern. The Council operates a permanent automatic air quality monitoring station in Dinas Powys, which indicates that pollution levels are actively monitored within the settlement. The presence of such monitoring infrastructure demonstrates that air quality is already considered sensitive in this location.
Increased traffic flows associated with 250 additional dwellings would inevitably increase vehicle emissions along Cardiff Road and surrounding residential streets. This is particularly concerning given the proximity of nurseries and primary schools within the village, where young children are more vulnerable to nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter exposure.
As someone with asthma, I am acutely aware of how air quality affects respiratory health. Prolonged exposure to traffic-related pollution can exacerbate existing conditions and increase reliance on medical care. Even if current readings remain within statutory limits, national guidance is clear that exposure should be minimised wherever possible, especially near educational settings and residential areas.
Allocating significant additional housing in a location where traffic congestion is already acute risks increasing cumulative exposure in areas used daily by children, families and those with pre-existing respiratory conditions. The precautionary principle should apply.
Public transport cannot reasonably mitigate this impact. The two railway stations are not fully accessible for wheelchair users or individuals with mobility impairments, a third of the population of Dinas Powys are over 65. Rail and bus services do not provide direct access to many key destinations such as GP surgeries, certain hospitals and certain schools. Bus services are already operating under pressure. Cardiff Bus operators have indicated that additional demand will require timetable alterations, further stretching capacity. Wheelchair users (as policy) will be required to wait for subsequent services if accessible space is already occupied. These factors demonstrate that private car dependency would increase.
Local services are already strained. Schools within and around Dinas Powys are under pressure, and healthcare provision within the village is limited. Development of this scale would significantly increase demand for school places and GP appointments. Sustainable development requires infrastructure to be demonstrably deliverable and timed appropriately. There is insufficient evidence that education, healthcare and drainage upgrades can be secured in advance of occupation.
The ecological sensitivity of the area must also be recognised. Development of this magnitude risks habitat fragmentation, increased light and noise pollution, and long-term biodiversity degradation within the Green Wedge. Residents within Dinas Powys have witnessed the loss of apex predators within the last five years foreshadowing a long term decline of biodiversity.
In summary, HG1 KS2 is not justified, as reasonable alternatives have been inconsistently assessed. It is not effective, as infrastructure and transport constraints remain unresolved. It is not consistent with national planning policy in relation to Green Wedge protection, flood risk and sustainable placemaking. For these reasons, the allocation should be removed from the Deposit RLDP.
