113 homes for St Asaph given green light by councillors

Plans for 113 homes in St Asaph were given the go-ahead at a Denbighshire planning committee, despite objections from the city council.

Castle Green Homes applied to Denbighshire County Council for planning permission to build the homes and carry out landscaping on land off Upper Denbigh Road.
The development will include a mix of apartments, terrace, semi-detached and detached properties with parking for each home.
But St Asaph City Council said the homes would be an overdevelopment, arguing the proposed entrance off the A525 was dangerous.
The city council also believed the development would worsen congestion on the A525 from Upper Denbigh Road, could damage the identity of St Asaph, and put a strain on GPs and medical care.
St Asaph councillors also argued the county council should look for alternative sites, rather than green land.
Despite this, following some amendments to the plans, including access, Denbighshire’s planning committee voted in favour of the development without objection.
Cllr Peter Scott spoke in favour of the development and pointed to revised access points, which he said would make entry and exits safer.
“The (councillor) site visit was eye-opening,” he said.
“It was noted that the city council did write in complaining about the site back in October 2021, I think, with about eight different items (issues). But at the end of the day, looking at the site visit, all those items (reasons) have been mitigated.”
He added: “The improved access to the site is going to be placed (moved) 30 yards away so you can see it in and out of the site. There are going to be new footpaths along the A525, which the city council had been calling for for years, so that is a bonus as well.
“I think the developer has mentioned St Kentigern’s Hospice. At present they look over an open field, but they (the developer) have put in open-space mitigation so they have got a decent view.
“We’ve asked for bats and swift boxes, which they’ve said they would do for us. There’s going to be an improved crossing in front of the new site across the road, again something the residents have been asking for. I’m quite happy with it.”
Cllr Scott also said improvements to road signs and land drainage works would also benefit the area.
Cllr Gareth Sandilands criticised Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for a lack of response during the consultation process.
“I’m disappointed with this,” he said.
“They originally replied with a one-sentence reply summary, and now they’ve not even bothered to respond. This is a lot of houses. They are the body representing Wales, and I think they should get their act together in the quality of their responses.”
Officers replied the council had a good relationship with NRW but said the council had received some late papers from the NRW about newt preservation.
Cllr Mark Young said he was unhappy that a small number of trees would be removed to allow the project to go ahead.
“I’m really very disappointed that three mature trees are being taken out in this project,” he said.
“What’s going to happen to that wood that might be hundreds of years old, and are we really valuing trees that store up carbon at the level necessary in the current climate?”
Cllr Young was informed by officers two of the three large oaks were ‘failing’ and would probably have to be felled for health and safety grounds anyway.
The land was allocated for housing in Denbighshire’s local development plan.
Councillors voted in favour of the development with 17 voting for with no abstentions and no objections.

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter