Testun llawn:
I wish to register my strong objection to the inclusion of Site HG1 / KS2 - North of Dinas Powys in the Vale of Glamorgan Replacement Local Development Plan. The allocation is unsuitable, unsustainable, and inconsistent with the RLDP's own strategic objectives.
1. KS2 is not a sustainable or logical extension to Dinas Powys. The site is physically detached from the existing settlement and would rely on a single vehicular access from Cardiff Road, located at the extreme northern edge of the village. This separation, combined with poor pedestrian and cycling links and the distance from shops, schools, and services, would create an isolated car-dependent development. These deficiencies have been formally raised in representations by Dinas Powys Community Council.
2. Traffic, congestion, and unsustainable commuting patterns. Dinas Powys lacks accessible local employment opportunities, meaning new residents would be expected to commute predominantly to Cardiff. This would substantially increase traffic and congestion on the village's already constrained road network. This pattern directly contradicts the RLDP's aim of promoting sustainable transport and reducing out-commuting, a concern highlighted in the Community Council's objection.
3. Severe and increasing flood-risk concerns. Flooding is one of the most serious and well-evidenced issues affecting Dinas Powys, and the KS2 allocation would significantly worsen this risk.
3a. The village already has a major flood history. Recent reporting shows that Dinas Powys has required substantial investment-£1.5 million- new flood defences to protect 176 homes and multiple community buildings due to past flood events, particularly related to the Cadoxton River. This clearly demonstrates the area's existing vulnerability.
3b. KS2 sits adjacent to mapped flood-risk areas. Data reviewed in local reporting indicates blue-shaded flood-risk zones near the proposed development, with other areas classified as "Under Review" by Natural Resources Wales. Building a large estate directly upstream of known risk areas increases the likelihood of downstream flooding.
3c. Replacement of absorbent agricultural land with impermeable surfaces. KS2 is currently greenfield land with high natural infiltration. Covering these fields with housing, roads, car parks, and hard infrastructure will dramatically increase runoff, a concern directly raised by residents who have warned that "concrete instead of fields" will inevitably worsen flooding.
3d. The wider Cadoxton River catchment is already overwhelmed. Nearby sites, including Argae Lane and Eastbrook, have been criticised as being partly on flood plains, highlighting the sensitivity of the area's watershed. Increasing development pressure across this shared catchment will compound flood risk across Dinas Powys, a point emphasised by the Community Council.
3e. Local drainage networks are already at or near capacity. Residents have publicly raised concerns about existing drainage and sewage limitations, noting that current infrastructure struggles even before additional development is added. Increasing impermeable surface area would heighten the risk of both stormwater flooding and foul-water overflow during heavy rainfall.
3f. Allocation of KS2 undermines the RLDP's climate resilience objectives. The RLDP stresses avoiding development where flood risks cannot be mitigated. Allocating a major housing site in a proven flood-sensitive area-adjacent to known flood-risk zones and within an already pressured drainage catchment-directly contradicts these strategic principles
4. Loss of important green wedge, landscape, and biodiversity areas. The KS2 site forms part of the Green Wedge separating Dinas Powys, Penarth and Llandough (Policy MG18). Development would permanently erode this valued landscape buffer and destroy habitats of ecological significance. This issue is specifically highlighted in the Community Council's analysis.
5. Conflict with RLDP growth strategy and infrastructure capacity. The scale and location of KS2 do not align with sustainable growth principles. Infrastructure, transport links, and community services in Dinas Powys cannot support this level of development without causing harm to residents' safety, mobility, and environmental resilience.
Conclusion - For the reasons above-particularly significant flood-risk concerns, poor sustainability, infrastructure inadequacies, and the loss of valued green space- I urge the Council to remove Site HG1 / KS2 from the Deposit RLDP and reconsider its suitability entirely.
