TALYBONT-ON-USK COMMUNITY COUNCIL

The web site of the Community Council covering the communities
of Talybont-on-Usk, Pencelli,Aber, Buckland and Scethrog
(if you are planning a holiday here visit  http://www.visitourbeacons.com/ )

Local Development Plan

Proposed response to Brecon Beacons National Park Authority

The Community Council has been asked to comment about three aspects of the Local Development Plan – Settlement hierarchy, potential development sites and settlement boundaries.

The Council has considered the proposals of the Authority against the background of the views expressed by residents of the area at the community event held in 2008. Those views as reported to the Authority in August last year included:-

 “ LDP Settlement strategy.  The Community Council feels that new development should be focused in locations which minimise carbon emissions and retain existing local services. It feels therefore that Talybont-on-Usk village itself could benefit from further suitable development as it will help to support village services. The Council does not consider other communities and hamlets within our area should be further developed for housing although there may opportunities for very small scale employment development.

Settlement boundaries. The Community Council waits with interest proposals for new development sites within or adjacent to Talybont village (candidate sites). It will wish to respond to specific site proposals at a later date. The Community Council strongly feels that the boundary of the settlement of Pencelli should not be enlarged. Other communities (Aber, Buckland and Scethrog) should not be designated for development as they lack any services.”

The following are the proposed responses to the Authority. If you have a view on these please write to the Clerk at the address at the bottom of this notice.

Proposed response:-

 

1. Sustainability Score. There are significant faults in the scoring process and also in the assessment data which has resulted in a score which places Pencelli higher than Talybont village. For example the scoring gives an unfair advantage to places within 5 miles of a larger settlement and has also resulted in Pencelli being awarded points for its non-existent shop, playground and village hall. The scoring system must be reviewed and if this is not done, the Council will object at the Public Inquiry.

 

2. Proposed development sites.  The Authority has already consulted about ‘candidate sites’ and the Council responded to that consultation some months ago, based upon the community consultation of 2008. The Community Council has no evidence on which a change of view is justified. The following therefore remains the view of the Council:-

Allt Farm, Llansantffraed – clearly in open country and along side a trunk road. This site is totally unsuitable for development because of its impact on the countryside.

Land at Maesmawr Farm – This site received both support and opposition. Issues in favour of the site are that it lies naturally within the village boundary. Issues against the site include negative impact on adjacent dwellings including the new development at Dan yr Orsaf, the susceptibility of the site to flooding, the lack of safe pedestrian access to the village centre and its post office/shop and village hall, and the concentration of development in this area of the village.

Land adjacent to Almshouses Bridge – This would be a ‘ribbon’ development creating at an entrance to the village.  For this reason, this site is opposed.

Field adjacent to the Henderson Hall – This is the preferred site for affordable housing as it is close to the shop and post office and the village hall/play area. It also forms a natural extension to Penpentre. There are certain access and rights of way issues which would need resolution, but in principle this site is supported.

Land south of Ty Melys and east of Oak View, Pencelli – This site lies within the natural boundary of village and is therefore supported.

Land adjacent to Malthouse.  Subject to assessment of railway embankment on flood risk, this site is supported as it lies within the natural boundary of the village.

Former goods yard, Station Road. This would create ‘ribbon’ development at an entrance to the village in an area which is currently a pleasant green boundary and is valued highly for this by the community. This site is therefore opposed.

 

In addition to the above, the Park Authority has recently identified possible additional sites at Pencelli, Scethrog, and Aber.  Further information can be found on the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority website at http://www.breconbeacons.org/the-authority/planning/strategy-and-policy/local-development-plan.

The Council notes that these additional officer-identified sites have not been subject to the same advertising and consultation process that the candidate sites benefited from. The Council believes that this is a defective process and is therefore one reason why none of these additional sites are supported. In addition the Council has considered the views expressed by residents in 2008 which favoured development around and within the principal community of Talybont. This is the second reason for not supporting the officer-identified sites. The third reason for not supporting these officer-identified sites is that there is no locally identified need for further development in Pencelli, Scethrog and Aber. The Community Council feels that affordable housing identified in the 2004 local needs survey should be provided at Talybont village close to the shop/post office/public transport/village hall and recreation areas. Should the Park Authority seek to include these officer identified sites, then the Council will object at the Public Inquiry.

 

3. Settlement boundaries. The Community Council notes that the Park Authority has proposed for the first time development boundaries around Aber, Scethrog and homes in the Llansantffraed area, in addition to new boundaries around Pencelli and Talybont. The Council notes the following substantive errors or faulty process:-

    • The boundaries are shown on maps which are substantially out of date and which fail to record developments within the last 8 years or so. It is impossible to express a view on boundaries unless the maps reflect the latest developments,
    • The boundaries proposed by officers include errors. For example the boundary around Talybont includes a candidate site which both the Park Authority and the Council have already rejected (land opposite Gilestone cottages).
    • The Council is opposed to boundaries around Aber, Llansantffraed and Scethrog because these areas are unsuitable for development other than infill, and the 2008 consultation response included a view that boundaries were unnecessary because of this.
    • The Council notes that no boundaries are proposed at Buckland or Cross Oak. This is inconsistent with the justification of the Authority for boundaries in other areas.

If you have a view on the above, please write to:

 The Clerk to the Community Council

 Brynhyfryd, Scethrog, Brecon, LD3 7EQ

The Community Council will be considering its position again at its meeting on Monday 19th October 2009 when any  written submissions received by that day will be reported to members. The Council will then submit is final response to the Park Authority.

 

       24th September 2009