Green light for 152-home development on Welsh colliery site

Plans to build 152 new homes on the site of the former Windsor Colliery in Abertridwr, Wales, have been approved by the local authority.

The proposals by housing association United Welsh were approved by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning committee at a meeting this week.

The Windsor Colliery opened in 1895, raising its first coal in 1902. It was joined with the Nantgarw Colliery in 1974, and closed in 1986. The site was remediated in 2007.

Development proposals include 29 one-bedroom flats, as well as 52 two-bedroom and 71 three-bedroom houses and apartments, of both market and social housing. 

The development will take place on the site of the former Windsor Colliery, south of Ysgol Ifor Bach, and will consist of both market housing and social homes.

A new access road to the site just south of Ysgol Ifor Bach is included in the proposals.

Councillors recommended that the application be approved subject to conditions, stating that it “would make an important contribution to the provision of housing” and noting that “a significant proportion of the dwellings would be provided as affordable units.”

Lynn Morgan, executive drector of United Welsh said: “This will be a multi-tenure development that includes affordable homes for rent, and purchasing opportunities for first-time buyers and people wanting to own a home again.”

“All the homes will also be off-gas and built to high levels of energy efficiency, as part of our commitments to reduce our carbon footprint and provide homes that are more cost effective for residents to live in.

“We are excited to help meet the demand for more quality homes within the borough and we look forward to starting work on site.”

Council planners note that “local residents have raised significant concerns,” with 26 letters of objection to the plans received.

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Among these were fears of possible instability from the disturbance of the old coal tip, loss of privacy to residents in the nearby Ty’n Y Parc estate, plus concerns that medical, transport and road facilities wouldn’t cope with more residents.

As part of an environmental impact study, the proposals looked at mining legacy issues. 

Council documents state that The Coal Authority “is satisfied that an adequate assessment of the coal mining risks associated with this development has been carried out” and that “the proposal is considered to be acceptable from a mining risk perspective.”

The Invasive Plant Species Officer noted the location plan includes a section of the Nant Llan watercourse, an area “heavily infested with both Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam.”It will be treated with herbicide later this year, having been treated previously in 2022.

No objections were raised by the councillors consulted and the plans were approved subject to the usual conditions. 

United Welsh has a turnover of £40m and plans to build 1,300 more homes over the next five years. It manages 6,300 homes for people across 11 local authority areas. 

Caerphilly County Borough Council has been approached for comment.