PLANNING permission to build 141 homes in Tredegar should be extended by another five years, Blaenau Gwent planners have advised.

At a Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council Planning Committee meeting, on Thursday, July 28, councillors will look at an application to “extend the life” of the permission given to build at land next to Park Hill Road, Tredegar.

The site extends over the western part of a larger 13-hectare site that has been set aside for housing in the Blaenau Gwent Unitary Development Plan.

The application has been lodged by Birmingham-based Real Estate Investors plc.

Originally planning permission for the scheme was approved in July 2010, and a first extension was approved in 2016.

While there are no outstanding changes to the proposed development, some changes to planning law now mean that the applicants have to submit and have a sustainable drainage scheme for the land approved before anything is built.

Also, 10 per cent of the houses need to be classed as “affordable homes.”

Payments to help provide recreational areas and offset environmental damage also form part of the proposal now.

The planning history shows that schemes of up to 275 homes had been considered for the site.

In her report, planning officer Jane Engel said: “This site has a long history of planning consents for residential development dating back as far as 1959

“The application site is a ‘greenfield’ site on undeveloped land that is open in character, which lies on the southern edge of the urban boundary of Tredegar.

“The site climbs the north east flank of Bedwellty Mountain, extending from the defined settlement boundary at 340 metres above sea level upwards and southwards to 380 metres above sea level.

“Since the previous granting of planning permission, the council has undertaken a full review of its play provision.”

The report states that the calculation for upgrading recreational facilities should be a £500,000 contribution from the developers.

Ms Engel said: “However in this instance the council will be looking for a contribution of £200,000 to upgrade existing play facilities and as these are existing stock would not require any further financial commitment for future maintenance costs

“The proposed development has significant impact on the ecological interest of the site.

“In order to mitigate the full impact, the county ecologist considers that some off-site mitigation measures are necessary.

“The applicant has agreed to a commuted sum of £350,00 to be used for projects on local nature reserves.”

Ms Engels recommends that councillors grant the extension.