Battle of Stradey Park - Part II

Following on from the previous post, a local campaigner has written in with a summary of some of the twists and turns in this story which gives a much clearer picture of the degree of manipulation and planning jiggery pokery which has gone on in Stradey Park.

The Welsh Government publishes its so-called DAM maps showing areas liable to flooding every four years.

Here is a short mapping history....

2005 – DAM maps said Stradey was 60% C2 flood plain.

2007 – Planning Inquiry - Scarlets (Taylor Wimpey bought the site in 2008)

persuaded EAW that it was not a tidal flood plain except for bottom SE corner.

2009 - New DAM maps said Stradey was 64% C2 flood plain – fluvial (with bottom SE corner tidal).

            

The Welsh Government called in Reserved Matters. Taylor Wimpey exploited an apparent a loop hole in planning regulations to say that flood plain could not be considered as it had already been discussed.  

Environmental Impact Assessment regulations say that any new information should be considered,  but the county council showed a surprising turn of speed and approved the application the day the Welsh Government backed down and withdrew the call in.

2013 - DAM maps said Stradey was 70% – 80% C2 flood plain – fluvial (with bottom SE corner tidal)

Taylor Wimpey are now building and have raised the land by 8 feet opposite existing homes in Iscoed to take the new homes out of the flood plain.

Planning Policy Wales says that vulnerable developments (homes, schools, hospitals, etc) must not be built on a flood plain, and mitigating measures (eg raising the land) must not be used for such developments. The county council and Taylor Wimpey interpret the regulations differently.

With regard to the close involvement of the council's executive in the supposedly independent planning process, the following episode speaks volumes.

Two weeks before the planning inquiry in 2007 the county council sneaked this onto the end of the planning committee without even telling the local members and also excluding the public. The first anybody knew was at the inquiry.

In essence, the S106 agreement between chief executive Mark James and Huw Evans (then chairman of the Scarlets) in a Scarlets Project Board meeting in 2004 (two years before the planning app was submitted) over-rode the decision of the planning committee that the S106 monies should go to the Stradey area and not to build a stadium in Pemberton.

http://online.carmarthenshire.gov.uk/agendas/eng/PLAC20061221/MINUTES.HTM

"11. PLANNING APPLICATION S/12058 - UP TO 450 RESIDENTIAL UNITS, COMPRISING 2, 3 AND 4 BEDROOM DETACHED AND SEMI DETACHED HOUSES, TERRACED TOWN HOUSES AND APARTMENTS WITH 0.9 HA PUBLIC OPEN SPACE AT STRADEY PARK, AND ADJOINING LAND, MAES Y COED, LLANELLI, CARMARTHENSHIRE

(NOTE: The following members of the committee, being present at the original meeting held on the 27^th July 2006 which considered the above application were present during consideration of this item. All other members of the Committee were excluded from the meeting:

Councillors: Mrs S.M. Cooke, I.W. Davies, J.J.J. Davies, J.G. Edwards, D.C. Evans, W.T. Evans, S.R. James, T. Theophilus, K.P. Thomas and Mrs J. Williams.

The Committee was reminded that at its meeting held on the 27^th July 2006 it, having noted that the Welsh Assembly Government had called in application S/12058, had RESOLVED to be minded to grant planning consent subject to a Section 106 Agreement being entered into which should include an element of affordable housing and community benefit for the Stradey Area.

The Committee was requested to note the proposed Heads of Terms agreed with the applicant, as detailed in the report, and resolve to authorise the Head of Planning to present the Draft Section 106 Agreement in those terms at the forthcoming Public Inquiry.

RESOLVED that the proposed Heads of Terms detailed in the report be noted and the Head of Planning be authorised to present the Draft Section 106 Agreement in those terms at the forthcoming Public Inquiry."

What that meant in plain terms was that the rump of the Planning Committee which was permitted to stay behind for this top secret part of the meeting was told to reverse what it had already decided in conformity with planning regulations on S106 agreements, and adopt the deal which had been put together by Mr James and Mr Evans. That agreement diverted the S106 monies across town to Parc y Scarlets.

Oh, and contrary to what Mr James has told the press from time to time, the Stradey site makes no provision whatsoever for affordable housing, in accordance with those Heads of Terms.