Development for 35 houses in Presteigne includes 11 affordable homes
Detailed plans for 35 new houses in Presteigne have been lodged with Powys County Council
The reserved matters application has been submitted by Bruce Kidson of Kidson Homes Ltd and includes provision for 11 affordable homes as part of the proposal for land at Broadaxe Farm, just off the B4355 road on the outskirts of the town.
The site is opposite the playing field for John Beddoes Secondary School.
The principle of developing the site was settled when an application for outline planning made by farming business Sid Williams and Son in 2020, was eventually approved in June 2023.
The new applications sets out the details for access, appearance, landscaping, layout and scale of the scheme.
Documents show that the proposal is for a mix of two-, three- and four-bedroom houses.
Of the houses set to be affordable homes, the papers show that six will have two-bedrooms and five will have three-bedrooms.
Planning agents BBA architects explained the proposal in a Design and Access statement.
BBA architects said: “The layout of the site has been designed based on the constraints and opportunities of the site.
“Access is provided off the B4355 – Joe Deakins Road – which is one of the main arteries into the town centre.
“A new adoptable road is proposed off this road to provide a safe route into the development.
“Either side of the site access, along the main road it is proposed that an area of existing and proposed new trees and landscaping will be provided to act as a screen and landscaping buffer for the site.”
BBA architects say that provision for affordable housing identified in a “tenure document” that shows where they would be built on the site.
However, Powys council’s housing authority officers say that not enough detail on the affordable homes is included in the proposal.
They say that an “Affordable Housing Scheme” document needs to be added to explain this element of the scheme in depth.
Presteigne and Norton town council discussed the application at a meeting last month.
While not objecting to the plans the town councillors wanted to make it known that the dwellings need to be “highly energy efficient” and also more detail is needed on the affordable homes.
The town council added: “The large oak on site should have its roots protected during construction and it was felt that in order for residents to get into the town from the site a new pedestrian crossing should be provided across Joe Deakins Road.”
This would allow them to use the pavement opposite.
Town councillors also believe that speed limit in this part of Presteigne should be dropped to 30mph so that “traffic has slowed sufficiently” before reaching the crossing,
A decision on the application is expected soon.
