Residents fear that plans to build more than 100 homes in their town could result in "choking the life" out of it. A number of people living in Cowbridge have voiced their opposition to plans from Redrow to build 105 homes on land between Windmill Lane and St Athan Road.
Chief among the residents' concerns are the potential visual impact the houses could have, with the surrounding area being in the Upper Thaw Valley - a Special Landscape Area - and the risks associated with the proposed entrance of the development on St Athan Road. "We are firmly of the belief that it is a dangerous junction," said one resident who wanted to remain anonymous.
A new agricultural entrance, which was a separate development, was built on the St Athan Road bend and includes crash barriers. According to CrashMap, which uses data collated from the Department of Transport, there have been five reported crashes on this particular bend in the past 23 years.
Read more: ' The controversial expansion of Cowbridge, the desirable postcode where lots of people want to live'
The Cowbridge resident added: "It suggests to me and to all of us that the junction is intrinsically unsafe for access for 105 cars. There are going to be cars waiting in the middle of the road. The road is only about 2.4 metres-wide and people coming down aren't going to see them." Another resident, Mike Higgins, said he thinks the proposed site is "far from ideal".
Mike said: "It is a steep slope, it is poor access. The road on which the site is accessed is a very narrow road. Redrow cookie-cutter homes on a site that is bordering countryside. There is no thought of any impact." Cowbridge is already seeing another housing development getting underway with the Clare Garden Village currently in phase two of construction.
On the wider expansion of Cowbridge, Mike added: "If you add it all up, you are talking nearly 600 homes in a town that had 2,000 before. So, this is a 30% increase. It is just too much. The capacity of the town cannot deal with this. Parking is a joke. You can't get down any of the feeder roads at the top of the town because of the cars parked everywhere. This is choking the beauty and attractiveness out of the town."
A design and access statement attached to the planning application for the 105 new homes says: "The proposed development falls within the settlement boundary of Cowbridge and will deliver the ‘Redrow Vision’ which is to create a better way for people to live by building beautiful homes efficiently, responsibly and sustainably and delivering a high-quality lifestyle by focusing on a superior product in fantastic places in which people want to live, work and enjoy.
A pre-application consultation report by RPS Group states: "A Transport Assessment (TA) and Travel Plan have been prepared in support of the application proposals in accordance with relevant advice and guidance. The TA has been scoped with the highway officers at the Vale of Glamorgan Council. The TA confirms that the proposed development is considered to be well located and is wholly compliant with both national and local transport policies."
A spokesperson for Redrow said: “As a prestige housebuilder, we are proud of our reputation for building distinctive and high-quality homes. The design of our developments, including our planning application for 105 family homes on the 10-acre site in Cowbridge, is driven by our strategic placemaking principles and commitment to supporting thriving communities.
"This is a site that has been allocated for development in the Vale of Glamorgan Local Development Plan and it is the local planning authority who have responsibility for taking account of any visual or highway impact.” A spokesperson for the Vale of Glamorgan Council said notices will be placed on site on October 29 indicating that members of the public will have a further 21 days to share their views about the application.
READ NEXT:
'Warrior princess' athlete killed in crash while riding her bike
The chaotic school drop-off scenes leaving residents 'mentally and physically drained'
Woman in 'agony' simply getting through her own front door desperate for re-housing
'I was told to use the living room as a bedroom' Cardiff's housing crisis laid bare
What is happening where you live? Find out by adding your postcode or visit InYourArea
