Masterplanning - Community Update
30 June 2009
Outline planning approval was unanimously received at the Planning Committee on 23rd June. Detailed planning applications for the various elements of the scheme will be submitted later this year.
31 May 2009
The outline planning application for the whole site will be heard by the Planning Committee on 23rd June 2009. This meeting is open to the public to observe (4pm, Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Pontypool).
The open house event on 20th April was relatively well attended and the majority of views expressed were positive about the development overall.
April 2009
The outline planning application for the whole site has been submitted and registered. The Planning Committee will consider the application at their meeting on either 27th May 2009 or 23rd June 2009. The statutory planning process will seek views and comments on the outline application from those who live within the vicinity of the development.
To complement the statutory planning process, an open house event will be held on:
Monday 20th April 2009
3.30pm to 7.30pm
Blaenavon Workmen's Hall
This event is not restricted to those who live in the vicinity of the development and anyone is welcome to attend to view the plans and ask any queries. Any comments received during the event will be forwarded to the Planning Officer for consideration by the Planning Committee. A poster| advertising the event has been posted in public buildings, shop windows and notice boards.
A copy of the planning application is available to view at Blaenavon Library and the closing date for comments on the application is 30th April 2009. Comments should be forwarded to:
Rachel Standfield
Planning Officer
Planning and Public Protection
Torfaen County Borough Council
County Hall
Cwmbran
NP44 2WN
31 January 2009
Final versions of the Land and Visual Impact Assessment| (and associated LVIA drawings|) and the Assessment of the Significance of Impacts of Development on the Historic Landscape| (ASIDOHL) and associated drawings have been received.
The final version of the Traffic Impact Assessment| (and the TIA Appendices|) and the Travel Plan| has been received and will be submitted with the outline planning application.
31 December 2008
The council has received written confirmation that the remaining £4m funding toward the school and leisure elements will be made available from the Welsh Assembly Government. The funds are being provided through the Strategic Capital Investment Fund. It is hoped the availability of this funding will bring the development of the school forward.
30 November 2008
Preliminary copies of the Traffic Impact Assessment, Travel Plan, Land and Visual Impact Assessment, and ASIDOHL, and the final version of the Ecology Studies have been received. The majority of these studies were undertaken by independent consultants. Final versions of these documents will be posted to this website as soon as they are available.
The Traffic Impact Assessment indicates that the highway network has sufficient capacity to cope with the development. Only one junction was identified as being problematic in years to come and it was the consultant’s view that the junction identified would become problematic whether or not the development proceeded.
The Travel Plan provides recommendations for improving the footpaths, cycleways and public transportation to the campus.
There were no serious ecological findings and the mitigation measures and recommendations made for reptiles and bat foraging and commuting are considered reasonable. Bats do not roost on the site but they do roost in the locality.
The Land and Visual Impact Assessment indicates that the development would have a ‘no change’ to ‘slight adverse’ impact on the environment but that the residual benefit of the campus would have a ‘positive slight’ to ‘moderate beneficial’ impact. The mitigation measures recommended were considered reasonable.
The Assessment of the Significance of Impacts of Development on Historic Landscape (ASIDOHL) indicates that the impact on the historical landscape was ‘very slight’ and this conclusion reflected the weighting of the area rather than the impact of the development within the town.
It is anticipated that the outline planning application will be submitted in early 2009 and at the same time as the detailed planning application for the PCRC.
The developers intend holding a planning open afternoon/evening event in Blaenavon so that members of the community can view the plans and provide any planning related comments.
The event will be organised once the planning applications have been submitted, and further details will be posted to the website and advertised in the local press.
30 September 2008
The master plan was presented to the Design Commission for Wales on 17th September. The scheme was generally well received and constructive comments were made around use of energy, the movement of pedestrians and vehicles on site, accessibility of the site on public transport and safe walking routes to the school.
A copy of the Design Commission’s report| and the Authority’s response| will be submitted with the master planning application.
It is anticipated that the outline planning application for the Masterplan will be submitted in November. The Visual Impact Assessment, Assessment of the Significance of the Impact of Development on the Historic Landscape (ASIDOHL) and Traffic Impact Assessment (including a Travel Plan) are due to be returned during October.
31 January 2008
Immediately after the Christmas break, a meeting was held with the Council’s developers (who will design and build the leisure facilities and school) and the Local Health Board developers (who will design and build the Primary Care Resource Centre) to begin the collaborative planning process.
The developers act independently for the Council and the Local Health Board and are part of one project team to ensure that the design and feel of the buildings is the same. As a result, they will be sharing the costs of a number of surveys that need to be conducted on the site, resulting in a lower overall cost.
Having one project team also means that we can look to share services, like reception areas, and therefore share space which can be used for other services.