If you happened to pass through Pembrey last Tuesday morning October 1st, you might have seen a number of people with placards congregating at the junction of Garreglwyd and the A484. They were there to protest about a proposed 100-house development which Persimmon wants to bring to the village. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Planning Committee was making a site visit so that they could see for themselves why villagers have been saying for years that the development site is totally unsuitable for houses.
Pembrey Village Action Group was formed when Nia Griffith MP became aware that there were many people in the village opposing the proposed development on two fields between Garreglwyd and Mountain Road. She felt that if we pooled our resources we would be much more effective in our opposition. The Group was formed in Autumn 2013 and we all expected it to be over by the following Easter. How wrong we were! After a series of public consultations and re-consultations and periods when just nothing seemed to be happening, the application was finally ready to be considered by the County Council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday 1 October. At a previous meeting in August, Cllr Hugh Shepardson had been successful in asking for a site visit. This took place on Tuesday morning, before the Committee meeting.
We were very pleased at the number of people who came out to protest, especially since it was a weekday and chucking it down with rain too. We knew that the site visit was vital to our opposition so that the Committee members could see for themselves just how bad a road junction it is at Garreglwyd and the A484. And the vehicles didn’t disappoint! What with the parked cars along one side of the road, and vehicles wanting to come down from Garreglwyd at the same time that others wanted to enter the estate from the A484, it gave the Committee members a great insight into how bad the area is even before 100 houses could be built. Last year 175,000 vehicles entered Pembrey Country Park and villagers can tell you about the length of the traffic queues that occur on sunny days when everyone wants to go there. We were concerned that that part of Pembrey would soon get a reputation for being as bad as Sandy Road now that the traffic lights have been put up.
It was important to us too that, in our 5 minute presentations, we explained clearly just why the houses shouldn’t be built there. Comments have been made about villagers being NIMBYs – this is far from the case. We were able to set out that it wasn’t just the Highways situation that caused us great concern, but also how the development would affect a drainage system which is already unable cope with sewage and run-off water; how it would affect Court Farm, over-stretched local services and the Welsh language too.
After all the presentations, the Committee members asked the Council officers many varied questions about the development, then it went to the vote. We were extremely pleased when the result was counted: 1 approval, 2 abstentions, and 13 refusals. A clear majority saying no to the houses. Unfortunately, this is not the end of the matter as Persimmon can appeal the decision and it could be overturned. Hopefully, the independent planning inspector who will be appointed by the Welsh Assembly will recognise that over 200 extra vehicles using the A484/Garreglwyd will make what is an already difficult junction dangerous and uphold the refusal.
It was the Planning Committee meeting on the day to decide on Planning Application S/21597. I am very pleased to let you know that the Committee decided to refuse the application. Although the Committee voted to refuse the application, Persimmon could still challenge the decision and I can’t see them giving up the fight without an appeal, given how much money they have invested in the project.
We would like to thank you so much for your support today, particularly given the weather – it was worth it in the end though, wasn’t it! Particular thanks to Cllr Hugh Shepardson who was instrumental in getting the Committee to agree to a site visit because that was crucial in helping them come to the decision to refuse.
If you watched the proceedings on-line, you might have heard the Chairman commend us on our peaceful protest. Thank you for that too. We could have asked you to make a big noise during the protest but felt that that was only going to antagonize the members.
Report written by Elaine Morrisroe
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