Clwyd West AM Darren Millar has criticised Denbighshire County Council Planning Officers for recommending that an affordable housing development in Ruthin should be given the green light despite warnings it could cause flooding.
About 300 people have signed a petition calling on Denbighshire councillors to reject the application for 77 properties beside the Glasdir estate, which was hit by severe flooding in 2012.
Opponents fear the plan could cause more flooding, but planning officers say permission for bungalows, semi-detached and detached houses, built alongside the existing Glasdir estate, should be granted.
Darren said:
“It is extremely disappointing that the planning officers have ignored the genuine concerns of residents on Glasdir and are recommending this development for approval.
“Devastating flooding affected 122 homes on the estate in 2012 and it took all those affected a long time to recover. They fear this development could result in further flooding, so it is totally understandable why they don’t want it.
“They are also concerned that the increased traffic that the development would generate would be a hazard for people making their way to and from the school, while also blocking any future extension to the school playground”.
In a report to Denbighshire's planning committee, which meets tomorrow (Wednesday), planning officers said they had expressed reservations about the "design approach".
But they said "these concerns have to be balanced against the need for housing, in particular the need for additional affordable housing within the county, and the fact there are no technical highway or drainage objections".
Darren added: “Whilst I recognise there is a desperate need for affordable housing across the whole of Wales, including Denbighshire, I agree with the residents that this location is not the right one for it, and I hope that councillors see sense tomorrow and vote against these recommendations”.