Affordable Housing Scheme Approved in Anglesey Village Despite Safety Concerns

A scheme to develop “affordable” housing in the “busy” centre of a rural Anglesey village has been approved – despite road safety concerns.
The island’s planners agreed that housing association Grŵp Cynefin could develop homes on grazing land at the centre of Bodffordd, behind Capel Sardis.
The decision was made at Anglesey County Council’s planning and orders committee meeting on Wednesday, September 4.
The planners had received 31 letters and four online comments, and three meetings had been held locally over the proposals.
The plans concerned a full application to build 15 homes, the creation of new vehicle and pedestrian access and an internal access road on land near Scotland Terrace.
Among concerns were “traffic and highway safety, loss of privacy, lack of need, over development, drainage, flooding, no local facilities, poor bus service, impact on character and culture of settlement, Welsh language and loss of agricultural land”.
The community council had also raised “highway safety” concerns and “could not support” plans for the relocation of the bus stop near the proposed access.
Agent for the developers, Sioned Edwards of Cadnant Planning, said the housing was 100 percent “affordable” and was a mix of houses and bungalows, one being a five bedroom home to “meet the needs of a specific family”.
“The housing would contribute to a need for local housing,” she said.
Amendments had also been made to the plans and it had been “ensured” that amenities of local houses were “protected”.
Transport and visibility issues had been addressed, changes had been made regarding a bus stop and there were “no concerns” with highways over road safety, she told the meeting.
The planning officer considered the scheme an “acceptable extension” to the village and said it complied with policy.
“The proposal will not have a detrimental impact on highway safety or on the amenities of the adjoining properties and locality,” it was stated.
One property lay within the development boundary of Bodffordd, and had no requirement to be an affordable property, a report noted.
The remaining 14 properties were required to be affordable, and subject to a Section 106 – a legal agreement.
This meant the developers would have to provide £73,542 towards Ysgol Bodffordd and £4,623 for a play area.
The planning officer had included the 106 agreement as part of his recommendation to permit the plans.
But the matter was called in by local member Cllr Non Dafydd who described the road beside the site as “dangerous”.
“There are issues here, it is a very busy road between two very busy junctions and in this area there is a popular electrical shop which gets deliveries from large lorries and vans,” she said.
Cars parked along the road meant vehicles had to go out into the middle of the road over the white lines.
She described an area where lorries passed from a quarry, farm vehicles, parents driving children to a school where there were 100 pupils, buses picking up passengers and said a large school bus dropped off children and pedestrians in the area near the proposed entrance.
“We need housing but it needs to be done in suitable areas in a suitable manner,” she said.
“I plead with you to consider the safety of the people of Bodffordd and reject this,” she said.
In a statement read on behalf of Bodffordd residents, Cllr Dylan Rees agreed it was an “extremely busy road with lots of heavy traffic,” and raised concerns over the entrance onto the B5109.
There were 43 people on a housing list who wanted houses, he said, “but only one had chosen Bodffordd as first choice”.
There was “no need” for homes in Bodffordd – but there was in Llangefni, where there were shops and services, he said.
Cllr Paul Ellis said he was going to speak against the plan, but had “changed his mind” after the closure of Ysgol Talwrn and “seeing the effect on the community”.
He said: “It seems like every week a family comes to me in desperate need of a home, housing is in short supply, especially in these villages.
“I feel we should pass the development to keep local families in their communities and keep communities alive.”
Highways officer Alun Roberts said his department was “happy” with what had been provided in the plans, saying “we don’t object to this application”.
Cllr Geraint Bebb proposed approving the application, seconded by Cllr Jackie Lewis. It was passed with nine votes.
Cllr Robert Llewelyn had proposed rejecting, but could not raise a seconder.

By Dale Spridgeon – Local Democracy Reporter