Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Aberthin is identified as a Minor Rural Settlement, where development is expected to be limited in scale and primarily related to local needs. A development of approximately 25 dwellings would represent around a 14% expansion of the settlement in a single phase, introducing estate-scale growth into a small rural village with very limited services. Part of the site lies within Flood Zone 3, where highly vulnerable development on greenfield land is not permitted under Technical Advice Note 15 (TAN15) unless the development is essential to the Local Development Plan. Given the Plan’s housing surplus, and no identified local need, the site cannot reasonably be considered essential. Aberthin has very limited services and infrastructure. The settlement contains no shops and limited community facilities, with most services located in nearby Cowbridge. Public transport provision is limited to infrequent bus services which cease in the early evening and do not operate on Sundays, and there are no designated active travel routes connecting the settlement to surrounding towns. The road network through the village, particularly along the A4222 corridor, already experiences traffic pressures and safety concerns. The site lies entirely within a Special Landscape Area, contributes to the countryside setting of the Aberthin Conservation Area, lies close to Cors Aberthin SSSI, and contains established hedgerow boundaries forming part of the historic field pattern of the Vale landscape.