Blast for developers over ‘Legoland-like’ developments

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Powys councillors have approved a proposal to build 18 council houses in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant, but some are not happy with the mundane look of new local developments.

The proposal by Powys County Council’s housing services department is to build the homes and associated works on land west of Maes-yr-Esgob in the village.

The plans went in front of councillors at a meeting of the Planning committee on Thursday, with the proposed development to be made up of 10 one-bedroom properties, six with two bedrooms and two with three bedrooms. Four plots have been set aside for bungalows.

The report explains that the principle of developing the field has been established as the land has been allocated for housing in the current Powys Local Development Plan (LDP).

Senior Planning Officer, Kate Bufton, told councillors that she recommended they approve the application.

And Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Elwyn Vaughan, said: “It’s very straightforward this site is a natural extension of the surrounding houses that are there and are similar in type.”

He put forward a motion to take the application on to a vote to approve the scheme.

But the Powys Independents Group’s Cllr Edwin Roderick said: “While I support the development and why we need the houses, they are Legoland lookalikes.

“I would plead with developers where they build more than three or four houses, to vary the design and the look of houses. When you go into these estates, they can be very boring to look at.”

He added that someone who might have had “too many pints” in the local pub might not know which house is home when they got there.

Committee Chairman, Powys Independents’ Cllr Gareth D Jones hoped the comments would be “noted” by the cabinet member for planning, Liberal Democrat Cllr Jake Berriman, who was sitting in on the meeting.

Conservative, Cllr Jonathan Wilkinson, agreed with Cllr Roderick and that developers had the “least cost” in mind when designing schemes.

He was happy to second the move to vote on the application, but asked council planners how much “control” they have over design.

Mrs Bowen said: “Agents and developers need to come forward with their designs before they submit their application so that we can have an input then, and work through to a design that is probably better.”

She added it was difficult to influence the design when an application “just lands on the desk”.

The committee then went to a vote and unanimously supported the application.

Before building work can start, a further sustainable drainage application will need to be agreed.