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Plans for hundreds of homes on Caerphilly Mountain have been thrown into question after Caerphilly council said it would withdraw a controversial development plan.

The council had received more than 4,500 objections to the proposals within its draft new Local Development Plan (LDP) for the area.

Council leader Keith Reynolds said the council “needs to reflect these views and reconsider”.

Campaigners who oppose the plans for 685 homes on Caerphilly Mountain said it was a victory for people power.

Councillor Reynolds said he would be talking to other councils and the Welsh Government about a wider, regional approach to where new homes should be built in south wales.

Two campaign groups had sprung up against the proposals, Say No to the Development on Caerphilly Mountain and the Gwern y Domen Conservation Group.

They both wanted to stop development and to “Keep Caerphilly Green”.

'Standing shoulder to shoulder'

Speaking in response to the decision, a joint spokesperson said: "We would like to thank the many thousands of residents who objected to this plan for this would not have been achieved without their support, standing shoulder to shoulder and moving forward in step against this plan. It is through their efforts and their loud voices that our countryside stands a real chance of being saved for future generations.





"We hope that the Council will take this opportunity to ensure future plans are part of an effective consultation, based on sound, robust evidence. A future local development plan must strike the right balance between development of housing and local services, on the one side, and conservation of the local environment, on the other.

"Gwern y Domen Conservation Group and Keep Caerphilly Mountain Green Group look forward to engaging creatively and positively with councillors to ensure that the wellbeing of residents, now and for the future, are taken account of, and that our countryside is valued for its free natural health qualities and is accessible to all."

In total, 4,654 individuals and/or organisations submitted comments during the consultation period and five petitions were received in opposition.

Politicians in Cardiff also objected saying it would bring traffic chaos to suburbs in the north of the city.

Plaid Cymru’s Caerphilly Councillor Lindsay Whittle said that the news was a “victory to residents power”.

Cardiff North AM Julie Morgan submitted one of five petitions in opposition. She said the creation of 700 new homes being built on the other side of Caerphilly Mountain would have increased traffic on the already congested A469 into Cardiff North.

It was signed by 1,016 people.

'I welcome the news'

Mrs Morgan said: “I welcome the news that Caerphilly Council is re-thinking its LDP – not only because of the traffic impact this would have had in north Cardiff but also because I think we need to preserve the green countryside between Cardiff and Caerphilly.

“The traffic impact of building 700 new homes on the other side of the mountain – many of them for Cardiff-bound commuters – would have been huge, and this kind of increase in traffic would have been terrible for the environment too.

"It’s estimated that 10,900 people a day already commute out of Caerphilly into Cardiff.”

“My petition was one of five submitted to the council was signed by 1,016 people and it was supported by Caerphilly MP Wayne David and new Caerphilly AM Hefin David.

“I felt the plans had not been properly thought through and my constituents especially people living in Rhiwbina, Llanishen, Birchgrove, Heath and Gabalfa were very concerned.

“I hope we can all now work together to create a strategic plan for a permanent protected area of countryside between Caerphilly and Cardiff.”

At a meeting of the full council on Thursday a proposal to formally withdraw the authority’s Deposit Replacement Local Development Plan will be considered.

'We are a listening council'

Leader of the council, Keith Reynolds said: “We are a listening council and we have always said that we would carefully consider all the feedback resulting from the public consultation.

"It is clear that many local people have significant concerns about some of the proposals within the LDP, therefore we need to reflect these views and reconsider a way forward.”

He said there is also an emerging regional agenda to develop a more strategic approach to planning across the wider South Wales area.

The recommendation is that, subject to Ministerial approval, the authority formally withdraws the Deposit Replacement Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan up to 2031.

It is also proposed that the council seek further discussions with Welsh Government and local authorities within the Cardiff Capital Region regarding the possible development of a Strategic Development Plan, which will look at the wider, regional approach to strategic planning.

“We now want to play a lead role in discussions about the development of a more strategic approach to planning, so that we can appreciate the ‘bigger picture’ in terms of housing demand, strategic employment sites and supporting transport infrastructure,” added Coun Reynolds .

Caerphilly County Borough Council was the first local authority in Wales to formally adopt a Local Development Plan in 2010. The Replacement Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan up to 2031 would supersede the current LDP and provide the land use policy framework for decision making up to 2031.

Gwern y Domen Conservation Group and Keep Caerphilly Mountain Green Group said: "We welcome proposals from CCBC Leader Keith Reynolds for the revised LDP to be withdrawn which shows that the Council are listening to the people of Caerphilly.

"We would like to thank the many thousands of residents who objected to this plan for this would not have been achieved without their support, standing shoulder to shoulder and moving forward in step against this plan.

"It is through their efforts and their loud voices that our countryside stands a real chance of being saved for future generations.



"We hope that the Council will take this opportunity to ensure future plans are part of an effective consultation, based on sound, robust evidence.

"A future local development plan must strike the right balance between development of housing and local services, on the one side, and conservation of the local environment, on the other.

"Gwern y Domen Conservation Group and Keep Caerphilly Mountain Green Group look forward to engaging creatively and positively with councillors to ensure that the wellbeing of residents, now and for the future, are taken account of, and that our countryside is valued for its free natural health qualities and is accessible to all.