A plan to develop much-needed affordable housing in Barry has been approved despite a backlash from councillors over financial contributions. Vale of Glamorgan Council approved the plan to develop 25 affordable flats on Holton Road in Barry, which had been brought before the planning committee twice before.
However, some members of the committee revealed their discomfort over approving planning permission that freed the applicant, Hafod Housing, from having to make a standard financial contribution. Cllr Ian Johnson seemed to express frustration that this was the third time that the application had been brought before the planning committee.
He said: "It is very strange and quite unusual in my experience... to have such a very quick turn around in terms of something being agreed by this committee on the basis that we should negotiate the section 106 and then it being returned quite so quickly to us." A section 106 agreement is designed to make a planning application more acceptable by getting the applicant to agree to certain contributions that will mitigate the impact of the future development.
