Bridgend Council this week approved changes to a controversial housing estate, despite a series of petitions from local residents. The site in Coed Parc Park Street, Bridgend, previously received council planning permission for nine homes on land 1km west of the town centre.

However, developers Park Tree Homes have demanded a number of changes to the plans, including additional rooms on the roofs of the houses, as well as a wider range of house types, some of which include second-floor balconies. Get more Bridgend stories straight to your inbox by signing up to our special newsletter here.

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The decision was postponed until this month after a preliminary meeting in which members felt that more information was needed before a final decision could be made, especially regarding the decoration of the property and the addition of larger windows and balconies.

The plans, which have been with the council in various versions since 2017, were the subject of a second lengthy discussion between members and officials at the planning committee on October 19, which also featured representatives speaking on behalf of residents and developers.

Residents who opposed the plans described a range of concerns they had, including the potential pressure on infrastructure that could cause additional residents to be in attic rooms, as well as concerns that houses with balconies could lose privacy due to to them.

However, those responsible explained that the inclusion of the balconies complied with planning guidelines as they were sufficiently removed from the boundaries of neighboring properties, adding that the inclusion of additional attic rooms would also comply with regulations.

Other discussions revolved around the meaning of a three-story building, and participants wanted to know whether adding attic spaces would change the class of three-story buildings. The director responded that although the facility technically has three floors inside, it would still be classified as two-story because it is the same size as a two-story building.

Representatives, speaking on behalf of Park Tree Homes, said that if approval was revoked against officers’ recommendations, they would have no choice but to challenge the decision through the planning appeal process as there was no technical or professional evidence. who supported the objections. .

This resulted in a recorded vote of members supporting the amended plans, with seven members voting in favour, two against and two abstentions, although councilor Anthony Burrow, for Brynthirion, Laylston and Merthyr More, said it was with “great regret” that I knew what the residents of this area are experiencing.

Councilor Simon Griffiths added: “I believe this plan is better for the people of the area than the previous one and that is why I will vote for it. I have those concerns that I mentioned before, but in general I think the problem is that if we vote against it, things will get worse.”