Testun llawn:
The reclassification of Wick as a Primary Settlement appears unjustified when considered against the settlement hierarchy and the characteristics normally associated with settlements expected to accommodate a greater proportion of growth. The evidence base provides limited explanation for this change and does not clearly demonstrate that Wick performs a significantly greater service role or has materially better accessibility, infrastructure, or employment opportunities than comparable nearby villages such as St Brides Major, which remains classified as a Minor Rural Settlement despite appearing to have a broadly similar level of local facilities. For example, although Wick has scored ‘higher’ than St Brides Major in several categories due to it being ‘closer’ to other amenities such as a train station, in reality this equates to only a few extra minutes by car or bus (noting they are served by the same bus route) as the difference is barely 3 miles along a winding national speed limit road with no footpaths (and thus not safely walkable or cyclable), as is the onward journey between Wick and Llantwit Major; travelling via the National Cycle Route through St Donat’s would take the journey over the 5 mile scoring threshold for Wick. Thus, in practical terms the difference is negligible and, in fact, St Brides lies geographically closer to Bridgend rail station which has a far greater service provision than Llantwit Major. This objection is not intended to suggest that St Brides’s Major should also be a Primary Settlement, but to argue that by comparison, Wick should not be reclassified. Without clear evidence that Wick functions as a wider service centre or offers greater sustainability credentials, its reclassification risks being inconsistent with the plan’s spatial strategy of directing development toward the most sustainable and well-served locations.
