Up to 202 houses set to built on outskirts of Carmarthenshire town

Carmarthenshire Council’s planning committee unanimously approved an outline application for the development on land north of Gors-Fach, Dafen.

The main access to the site, known as Cwm Y Nant, is proposed from Nant Y Gro.

Planning officer John Thomas told committee members that the scheme was before them for determination because the council was the applicant and that it had a “significant financial interest”, should planning permission be granted. Committee member Cllr Deryk Cundy also requested it to be called in.

Mr Thomas outlined the main details of the scheme, noting that certain areas of the sloping site are “quite wet”. An attenuation pond is proposed to address surface water run-off.

Any developer which wanted to build the houses would have to submit a detailed application covering the layout and appearance of the scheme, plus landscaping and access.

They would also have to enter an agreement with the council to provide 20% affordable housing, a play area, and a financial contribution towards schools in the area.

Cllr Cundy said most of the development would be in his Bynea ward, and that he wanted clarification on several of the conditions proposed by planning officers.

These included that sufficient parking spaces were provided at the houses, and that construction traffic entering the site did not cause “absolute chaos” by blocking the nearby A4138 roundabout.

Cllr Cundy also said toddler fencing should be installed around the attenuation pond, and that the scheme should include bungalows.

An area of the 8.7-hectare site in Dafen, where outline planning permission for 202 homes has been approved (image by Google Maps/Carmarthenshire Council and free for use for all BBC wire partners)

He also asked if the play area would be funded completely by the future developer, and wanted to check if there were potential subsidence problems with an area of the site bordered by Gors-Fach and Bryncoch where houses had previously been demolished.

Mr Thomas said details about the attenuation pond had not been submitted as yet, but that they would require separate approval. The play area, he added, would also be dealt with at a future stage.

Referring to the demolition of the previous houses, Mr Thomas said some properties built in the 1940s and 1950s had engineering flaws but that he couldn’t confirm if this was relevant in this instance.

If the development went ahead, he said, it would have to satisfy the Coal Authority, which deals with old mining workings.

Planning committee chairman Cllr Alun Lenny said he shared the concerns about the pond fencing because the pond was proposed in close proximity to the play area.

Cllr Ieuan Davies wanted to know who would maintain the play area. On this point, Mr Thomas said the council would seek to ensure the developer had a management company in place for this purpose.

Llanelli Rural Council opposed the outline application, as did Llwynhendy councillor Sharen Davies, although she said she recognised the need for affordable homes, especially bungalows.

Carmarthenshire Cycling Forum was also against the scheme, contending that it didn’t address requirements under the Active Travel (Wales) Act. It suggested a number of amendments.