Testun llawn:
The purpose of this report is to:
1. Inform Vale of Glamorgan Council that residents in Wick are very concerned that land east of Heol Fain is being considered for housing development and request the Council to reverse this decision.
2. Complain about the planning process and raise concerns regarding communication and explanation of planning policies to the community in Wick.
Date: March 2026
Local Development Plan (LDP) 2011-2026:
Residents in Wick were against the St James Gardens (SJG) housing development when first proposed in the current LDP. There were more than 100 objections for reasons such as loss of agricultural land and development into open countryside, but primarily because it was too large for a small rural village.
At that time, the Vale of Glamorgan Council as the Local Planning Authority (LPA), listened and supported the community by removing part of the site. In the Replacement Local Development Plan (2021-2036), the site is now referred to as:
Rural Affordable Housing Site HG4 (3)
Reasons why there should be no more housing development in Wick:
The village of Wick has already seen significant growth with 124 homes built including 44 affordable housing properties on St James Gardens.
Another development of 17 affordable properties on St Brides Road is now complete. This development was approved by the LPA, even though it was outside the settlement boundary of the village, permitted development into open countryside and was not allocated in the LDP, whilst site 373 was removed from the RLDP, but located in a central village location.
Image: Map of surrounding development in Wick.
To date, 141 new homes have been built in Wick representing an increase of 70.15%. If a further development of 50 homes is built, Wick will have doubled in size to 95.02% - see table below, since construction started on St James Gardens in 2015.
Table of New Housing Development in Wick - post 2014.
Replacement Local Development Plan (RDLP) 2021-2036:
When the second call for candidate sites was published a few years ago, the land to the east of Heol Fain (Site 404) was deemed by the Vale of Glamorgan Council to be:
- Not suitable for further consideration.
- Not suitable for a small-scale affordable housing led development.
- Not suitable for a market led scheme.
However, the Vale Council then added Wick as a possible site for affordable housing, even though 141 homes have already been built in the village. This is a substantial amount of new housing and raises a number of issues.
Image: Map of surrounding development in Wick.
How can there be any further demand for affordable homes in Wick when that demand has already been met with the construction of 61 affordable homes at St James Gardens (44) and St. Brides Road (17).
Evidence has also been gathered that shows there is very little affordable housing requirement in the St Brides Major ward. Of the 19 homes made available in the last 4 months, 17 of these applications had to be advertised on Homes4U because applicants did not meet the necessary local requirement.
Advertising on Homes4U can only happen when the requirement under priorities 1 to 5 below could not be met.
- Resident in the community of Wick for the last 12 months
- Previously resided in the community of Wick for a minimum of 5 years
- Parents or close family (see note below) living in Wick
- Permanently employed (or moving to be permanently employed) in Wick
- Retiring from tied accommodation in Wick
This also demonstrates that rural villages like Wick are not suitable for affordable housing because they are characterised by poor public transport, lack of services, and very few employment opportunities.
Preferred Strategy - Communication and Consultation: During the Preferred Strategy stage of the RLDP, approved by Vale Council in November 2024 and followed by a 6 week consultation period Wick was identified as a Primary Settlement Area along with Wenvoe and Culverhouse Cross.
During the consultation period there was no formal notification from Vale Council with Wick Community Council or elected members of St Brides Major ward to explain why this decision was made. Subsequently, the opportunity for consultation with the community and raise objections to this proposal could not happen.
Consistent Policy:
Consideration of this site for development is inconsistent with the decision made by the LPA to remove it from the current development plan 2011-2026. People have a right to expect consistency from the LPA from one development plan to the next.
Image: View from St James Gardens toward Open Countryside including part of site to the east of Heol Fain
If included, it will demonstrate a complete lack of consideration towards people whose lives are affected by the RDLP and further demonstrate there is no ambition to protect rural villages in the western vale from unacceptable housing developments.
Private Ownership:
The Vale of Glamorgan Council do not have any legal interest in St James Gardens. The land is privately owned and residents are responsible for the development, paying a service charge to First Port Management Company for maintenance of roads and open space. It should also be noted that residents also have the option to set up a private limited company and manage the development themselves.
The idea that construction traffic could be permitted to gain access from St James Gardens to a new development from a public safety perspective is ridiculous. Furthermore protection of residents from likely risk of injury, noise and pollution should be the most important consideration for the Vale of Glamorgan Council.
Drainage:
The St James Gardens development, in common with all housing developments was designed by taking into account the constraints of the site. There are a number of other issues, but problems with drainage have not been resolved and the system has not been adopted by Dwr Cymru.
Access within the development:
Access from St James Gardens to St Brides Road and parking problems exist throughout, particularly outside numbers 62 and 66 St James Road (see below). This was not helped by the Vale Council decision to permit a higher density of housing on St James Gardens than normally permitted whilst negotiating section 106 agreements with the developer.
Image of access via St James Road.
When cars are parked outside these properties, it is not possible to pass and access numbers 62 to 65 and 66 to 69, this will be made worse with further housing development, making access to any new development impossible.
If the LPA had allocated all of the site when they had the opportunity, the development would have been built with consideration for size and constraints of that site, not as an 'unplanned add-on' that will now have significant consequences.
Removal of Site 355
As previously explained, there are very good reasons why there is no need for additional housing in Wick. However, can the Vale Council explain why it has removed site 355 from the RDLP in favour of 404.
Site 355 does not have any of the complications associated with site 404, has the benefit of direct access from St Brides Road and completes development up to the 'Site of Importance for Nature Conservation' and replicates the linear form of the residential development on the other side St Brides Road.
Image: Surrounding development and SINC in Wick.
Site 355 can also be developed by permitting development of 50 houses in a similar way to site 404, whilst retaining a green wedge and minimising the impact of this development along Heol Fain toward open countryside.
Finally, at a public consultation meeting held in Llantwit Major on the 13th February 2026 it was astonishing to learn that two of the planners that were specifically questioned about the access road via St James Gardens to the proposed development had not actually been to Wick, but they did know where it was.
