Last chance to oppose controversial Flintshire development plans

A SIX-WEEK public consultation is being billed as the last chance for residents to oppose a controversial planning blueprint.

Flintshire’s unitary development plan (UDP) governs all major developments in the county until 2015.

Negotiations over the UDP have dragged on for six years, and more than 15,000 representations were made during a year-long public inquiry.

At a recent special meeting at County Hall, councillors approved a final report.Deirdre Burrows, Welsh Assembly Government planning inspector, had proposed a series of changes.

She recommended “deleting” at least part of seven sites from the UDP that had previously been earmarked for housing.

These were Alyn Park off Denbigh Road, Mold which is the home of Mold Alex FC, the former cricket pitch in Carmel, Lower Ash Farm in Mancot, land north of Issa Farm in Mynydd Isa, Cae Isa in New Brighton, Ysgol Talfryn in Brynford and the council depot in Dobshill.At the same time, she recommended a number of sites be “allocated” in the plan and earmarked for housing.

These were land west of Ash Lane in Mancot, the Broughton Shopping Park compound site, Overlea Drive in Hawarden and Rose Lane, Mynydd Isa.

A six-week consultation period on the final proposed changes is due to start in September.Hawarden’s Clive Carver was one of several councillors who reluctantly voted to approve the final UDP report while objecting to specific developments in their ward.

Argoed Cllr Hilary McGuill re-iterated her claim that the Rose Lane site was unsuitable for housing, while Caergwrle Cllr Stella Jones said it was unfair that a petition signed by many people only counted as one objection.

Planning officer Andy Roberts said representations were judged on quality, rather than quantity.

Cllr Carver, who lives on Overlea Drive, is against the Hawarden site being earmarked for housing.

He said: “I suppose this is effectively the last chance for changes and objections.“The problem is, we have to find new and compelling evidence.”