BRIDGEND’S Welsh Conservative MP Jamie Wallis is writing to residents alerting them about plans to build 74 houses in the historic village of Newton.
Taylor Wimpey have now submitted a full planning application to develop the site of the former St John’s School in the middle of the village. The plans include 39 three-bedroom houses and 22 four-bedroom dwellings. There are also proposals to build 13 affordable homes consisting of 12 one-bedroom flats and one four-bedroom house.
At a public meeting called by Dr Wallis before the application went into the council, more than one hundred villagers attended to express fears about the impact of the development.
Dr Wallis said: “People were worried about the potential increase in traffic along Danygraig Avenue and especially Birch Walk from which access to almost all the houses will be gained. This has implications for the whole of that part of Newton and especially for the junction with Manor Grove and Bridgend Road. There are already massive problems here with parents dropping off and picking up pupils attending St Clare’s School in the mornings and late afternoons.
“A survey carried out on March 12, before the lockdown, showed a potential increase in 13 per cent on the Danygraig Avenue and Manor Grove junction.
“It is estimated that the new houses would generate 420 vehicle movements a day along Birch Walk and the other streets. But apart from residents’ own cars there will also be delivery vans and other vehicles travelling to the new estate to provide goods and services to residents.”
Dr Wallis said that many residents at the public meeting also raised concerns about loss of trees and wildlife habitat if this site is developed.
He is also dismayed about the timing of the application. Dr Wallis said: “I am disappointed that Taylor Wimpey is pressing ahead with this at a time when local residents are unable to come together to fight the plan. They know that there is considerable opposition to it and I feel that it would have been far better if they could have held off submitting the application until after the lockdown has ended.
“My letter to local residents alerts them that the planning application has been lodged and that the process is now underway. They will need to submit their observations to the council’s planning department as soon as possible. My letter explains how they can do this and I have also warned them that if they have previously commented on the plans during the pre-application stage, they will need to submit observations again as their previous views will not be passed onto the planning authority.”
You can find the link to the planning application below;
http://planning.bridgend.gov.uk/Planning/Display?applicationNumber=P%2F20%2F263%2FFUL
