CONSTRUCTION of a new bridge across the Monmouthshire and Brecon Canal near existing housing estate has been approved by councillors.
But the permission for the bridge that is “essential” for creating a ring road through, and linking the giant 1,200 home South Sebastopol housing development to the rest of Cwmbran, is subject to a condition that will have to be further approved by Torfaen Borough Council’s planning committee.
The council’s principal planning consultant, Duncan Smith, told councillors a Construction and Environmental Management Plan is required to set out the construction process and mitigations housebuilder Taylor Wimpey will put in place.
Mr Smith said the council and environmental regular Natural Resources Wales had “concerns” the submitted plan doesn’t “fully address” issues raised by local campaigners the Bridge 46 group formed when the firm built the first crossing, at Bevan’s Lane, to an earlier phase of the development.
As a result, the permission is subject to a condition a revised Construction and Environmental Management Plan is submitted, and approved by the planning committee before work starts. Mr Smith said NRW is “content” with the condition.
Construction could take between a year and 18 months, and the revised plan would give timescales, as well as details of the impact on the ecology and environment, including temporarily draining the canal for periods, and alternative routes for when the busy canal towpath is closed to all users.
He said: “This is a big engineering operation and it will cause disruption.”
The bridge will link homes currently under construction on the eastern side of the canal, known as the Wren’s Nest Two phase, with those planned for the western side, the Maes Gwyn phase – with a reserved matters planning application for those houses expected to be submitted shortly.
The 35 metre long bridge, which will be for use by vehicles, pedestrians and cyclists, and 2.7m above the canal path, is within the canal conservation area and intended to resemble other canal bridges.
The road leading to the bridge will be only 20 metres from the nearest home on the northern end of Five Locks Close, in Pontnewydd, which borders the Maes Gwyn phase. Mr Smith said the council wasn’t satisfied with the proposed mitigations to protect those residents and that will have to be addressed in the revised plan.
He said the development is “cheek by jowl with the top of Five Locks estate”.
Pontnewydd Labour councillor Stuart Ashley said construction of the previous bridge, and closure of the canal path, had upset many residents.
He said: “We have to be so careful last time there was a 4,000 person action group and residents were not happy.”
Old Cwmbran Labour member Steve Evans said a damn to keep water out of the canal during the previous construction had been “left in longer than it should have been and there was a lot of confrontation between us and them to get it removed. I hope we don’t have the same issue.”
Llantarnam Reform councillor Alan Slade said Torfaen has a “pretty sketchy record of enforcing planning conditions” and asked for assurance the conditions will be enforced.
Mr Smith reminded councillors the council is the landowner, and will be able to use that position, and he said a “beefed up” liaison process will be required as part of the revised plan while councillors were also told the council has appointed an additional enforcement officer in recognition of the need to monitor larger developments.
Three alternative routes, including one of diverting the canal path over the nearby tunnel and taking users through the Maesgywn phase and Five Locks Close, and paths along the east through the completed Wren’s Nest phase have been proposed.
A disabled access forum will be consulted but Mr Smith said “I really think it’s going to be difficult” when asked about access along diversion paths for those with disabilities and mobility problems.
Four trees will be felled for the development but a new woodland area created and a lighting plan will also be required to protect bats.
In July last year the committee agreed to change a condition requiring the bridge be in place by the time the 650th house had been built as 700 homes have already been constructed. Taylor Wimpey blamed the pandemic, slow sales and financial uncertainty for the delay.