Controversial St Asaph gypsy and traveller site scheme gets planning date

A controversial proposal to build 12 permanent pitches for gypsies and travellers will go before a council planning committee next month.
Campaigners have opposed the site, saying the council has gone against its own planning policies to push the development forward at Cwttir Lane off Glascoed Road in St Asaph.
More than 770 formal responses and a 4,000-signature petition were handed in to Denbighshire’s planning department in March.
The proposal is for three semi-detached amenity blocks and associated hard standing for 12 caravans, plus parking spaces.
Originally, there was a transit site as part of a separate development nearby, but that was dropped in favour of the permanent site.
The discussions about a transit site were to form part of the subsequent local development plan (LDP) discussions.
After a process that has been years in the making, Denbighshire’s planning committee will finally look at the proposals at County Hall in Ruthin on March 11.
Businesses and Residents Against Inappropriate Development in St Asaph (BRAIDS) has been campaigning against what it sees as the imposition of the site.
Speaking for the group, Leanne Groves said: “We are very concerned and we believe there are multiple planning reasons why this site shouldn’t go ahead and we continue the council view that this is the right site location.
“Residents and businesses of Cwttir Lane believe this will affect their amenity in every way. I am speaking against it at the planning meeting.”
She added the group would be attending the planning meeting, although they have been told only the first 25 protesters will be able to watch from the council chamber due to the number of public seats available.
During the consultation process, the Welsh Government Trunk Road Agency requested further information about noise levels from the A55.
Further survey work was undertaken and a report submitted to Welsh Government.
It is anticipated the resulting study will be released a week before the meeting.

By Jez Hemming – Local Democracy Reporter