Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
Vale of Glamorgan Council

Q1: SITE REFERENCE/POLICY/PARAGRAPH NUMBER: HG1 KS2
Whilst the reference is specific to the Eastbrook development the majority of these comments could be applied to the entire RDLP and the original LDP. The desire to build new homes on green spaces, destroying farm and woodland and wildlife without consideration to infrastructure is destroying all the great things about the Vale of Glamorgan; whilst affecting the communities in the Vale. With all the the new housing the population of Dinas Powys is increasing to the point that it is losing its identity as a village. In addition to the above the loss of the green belt boundary between Dinas Powys, Llandough and Penarth further affects the village identity, we are nearing some pseudo super town that will have no heart or community. With our local schools already full and over-subscribed how are they going to handle the additional families and with our education authority in disarray how will they manage to deal with the over capacity from a budget perspective. All GP surgeries are at capacity and there is no ongoing consultation with this service to rectify the current situation let alone the future issues. The new site at Eastbrook will have a water run off into the Cadoxton River which has burst and flooded homes in Dinas Powys many times. The increase in homes will lead to more discharge of raw sewage into the sea. This development will have an impact on many wildlife habitats, destroy wildlife homes to build our own does not seem morally or ethically right! The mantra that has been used to justify all these new homes and continues is people will use public transport, cycle and walk as opposed to using cars, Active Travel as you call it, has already been proven not to work. As far as the Eastbrook site is concerned there is limited access to Eastbrook train station, with no viable pedestrian access, limited and inadequate parking and no disabled access to or from one side. With Cardiff Road already at capacity bus travel does not offer any advantage over car travel and if the development were to go ahead then the additional traffic lights in the bus lane between Eastbrook and the Merrie Harrier will only add more misery. Another 250 homes could add as many as 500 additional cars entering Cardiff Road which has been over capacity for 5 years, with no upgrades in that time or planned. There is an infants school on the main Murch crossroads in Dinas Powys and the pollution today is unacceptable for many hours a day without this introduction of additional cars.
This additional traffic and the 250 homes will affect emergency services, first responders, maternity and A&E facilities through increased demand and congestion.
In addition to the above comments I want to raise the following specific issues regarding the Eastbrook development.
Highways objected to both the original Eastbrook proposal for 800 homes the current one for 250 homes, so why are the they pursuing this proposal when it is clearly not deliverable in transport and other terms.
The consultants have not provided a Transport Assessment, surely there should be a full assessment carried out before this is passed and Transport Assessment be placed in the public domain for consultation.
The site is not a viable Active Travel site due to the restraints of Cardiff Road and the southern end of the of the site, so does not follow guidelines.
The consultants Strategic Flooding Assessment is meant to record details of recent flood events but did not specifically detail the flooding of 100 homes in Dinas Powys in December 2020. An omission which at best a terrible oversight and worst misleading.
Has a catchment wide hydraulic model been commissioned, completed and agreed with NRW and does it show no increase in flood risk to existing properties?
The use of SuDS on the site can only add more water into the flood plain eventually are they viable given soil and ground water constraints and who is gong to be responsible for maintaining them as there have been issues with planning a maintenance programme at the Woodlands site in Dinas Powys, which is the responsibility of the council!
It would also be good to know the number of raw sewage discharges since all these new housing developments were finished namely Woodlands, Scholars Park and Caerwent Close as from that data we should be able to predict the affect these 250 houses will have. Sewage pollution that is unacceptable in the 21st century.
What evidence is there and where is it that 250 houses are needed in Eastbrook?
Having been turned down before, what were the reasons to do so and what has changed to make it viable now?
Have the Vale council exhausted all the key sites outlined in the previous LDP and if not why not?
Have the Vale council used all their rolled forward housing sites?
Have the Vale council carried out a Sequential Test, thereby proving there are no lower risk sites available?
Has an Exception Test been carried out to ensure the development will be made safe throughout its lifetime without increasing risks of flooding elsewhere?
Were these carried out in the case of Woodlands, Scholars Park and Caerwent Close?
From Persimmons marketing brief 50 homes will be affordable housing to be managed by a housing association, what is classed as affordable housing?
With the elderly population increasing and the birth rate falling how do you justify this need and what proportion will be age friendly?
250 houses are not what the elderly need they want to be able to downsize to age friendly housing i.e. bungalows, what are the Vale council doing about this?
I understand that both the UK and Welsh Governments are 'ordering' house building but that is mainly to boost the economy by getting Britain building but repurposing existing empty buildings does that too. Cardiff have just done that with an office block in Cardiff Bay, so instead of making the east side of the Vale part of Cardiff why not do that?

Q2: I fail to see the relevance.