A FORMER timber yard will become a privately owned Romany Traveller site after councillors approved a planning application.
Torfaen Borough Council’s planning department had recommended the application by Joe Thomas be given the go-ahead by its planning committee which gave its unanimous approval at its Wednesday, October 30 meeting.
A report for the committee said caravans had been moved to the site since the original application to convert the disused yard at Plasycoed Road in Pontnewynydd, Pontypool had been made. The approved application was for the retention of the caravans, and they will be limited to two static and two touring caravans, and the CCTV camera that had been put up.
Photographs presented to the committee also showed the site has been cleared and hard standing created, and the application also includes plans to build two detached utility/day rooms to provide a bathroom, kitchen and an in-door area for drying. Portable toilets currently on site would then be removed.
Planning officer Justin Jones said the application also covers ecological improvements with bat and bird boxes on the detached buildings and some 22 trees will be planted, which will have to be native and detailed landscaping plan will also have to be submitted.
Lyn Garnett, an engagement officer for the Welsh Government funded Travelling Ahead Gypsy Traveller advocacy body, praised Mr Jones’ “fair, even handed” report and said due to the “very poor quality” of many council run sites in South Wales members of the community wish to buy their own land and create their own sites.
She said Mr Thomas is doing so “at no cost to the public purse” and said: “It is a sustainable location and a brownfield site and is making a site which wasn’t very nice something that will be lovely when finally developed and an improvement to the area.”
Ms Garnett also claimed Torfaen council had “revealed confidential information” about the family and suggested after that was reported by the media it had contributed to the 75 objections received, but said it was notable no objectors had attended the meeting at the Civic Centre in Pontypool.
A planning statement, submitted with the original application, stated further information on the family’s circumstances, their history and “Gypsy status belonging to long established Romany families” with “strong family connections in South Wales, particularly in the county of Torfaen” had been provided to the council in a confidential report exempt from publication or public scrutiny under data protection legislation.
Councillor Karl Gauden said local ward members had highlighted concerns not all residents had been notified of the original application. But Mr Jones said while there aren’t any immediate neighbouring properties but residents in the closes properties had been notified and a site notice was put up the near the nearby terrace housing.
He said the number of responses suggested the council had met the requirement of informing residents.
Pontnewynydd and Snatchwood Labour councillor Alfie Best declared a “prejudicial interest” and was advised by the council’s legal officer, Polly Evans, comments he’d previously made could mean he would be seen to have “pre-determined” the application. He left the meeting before any discussion as did Trevethin and Penygarn member Jon Horlor who said he lived nearby and considered he had a “personal and prejudicial” interest.