Plans to build more than 100 homes on a section of green space just outside Cardiff have been given the go-ahead despite concerns over flooding. The Vale of Glamorgan Council's planning committee approved outline planning permission for 133 flats and houses on land south of Llandough Hill and Penarth Road in Llandough, at a meeting on Wednesday, March 29.
A number of residents and a councillor expressed "serious" concerns about the application, fearing it could pose a flood risk. However, another councillor who lives in the area pointed to a growing need for housing in the county and how this development might help ease the demand.
Vale of Glamorgan Council ward member for Llandough, Cllr George Carroll said: "Anybody who is familiar with Llandough Hill will be aware of considerable water discharge at the top and bottom of the hill." The councillor went on to say that the council had constructed an interceptor drain to help address this problem. However, he added that there was "significant discharge" near a property which was directly opposite the proposed site. You can get more local news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
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Cllr Carroll said: "This then in periods of heavy rainfall discharges water onto Penarth Road which is a severe flood risk. Given this visible and well documented issue, I was astonished to see that this application was recommended for approval. The site in question is, to all intents and purposes, a green space. Concreting it over will have two effects. First and foremost it will potentially put these properties at risk from flooding and secondly, it has the potential to exacerbate the existing drainage issues as a result of the loss of green space that currently absorbs water in the area."
The development will be split into two sections, with an upper plateau comprising of 33 houses and a lower plateau having 100 flats.
A council planning report stated that the site was partially within a Zone B for flood risk and data from Natural Resources Wales shows that part of the site is at a high flood risk from surface water and small watercourses. However, the council's planning report added that the site was not considered to be at risk from coastal or river flooding and Natural Resources Wales had not raised any concerns.
It also proposed that surface water run-off from the development will be mitigated through a sustainable drainage system (SuDS) which will restrict run-off rates from the site to existing greenfield run-off rates. Vale of Glamorgan Council Labour member for St Augustines, Cllr Elliot Penn, who said he often walked past the proposed site and used to be a community councillor at Llandough said he would be sad to see that section of green space go.
But, he added: "With the pressing need of housing and the mitigation over flooding I don't have a problem with it as being a resident and former community councillor. It would have been nice to see a wider green buffer between Cogan Pill and the housing to keep a sense of Cogan Pill being more wild, but I would say, based on the documents I have looked at, it seems a reasonable proposal."
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