Hundreds of people attended a packed public meeting in Abergele to discuss concerns over housing proposals in the town.
More than 200 people attended a meeting at the Kinmel Manor Hotel on Thursday night to voice their concerns at Conwy County Borough Council proposals for 870 new homes in Abergele as part of its Local Development Plan, which will provide a blueprint for development and land use in the County Borough until 2022.
Speaking at the meeting Darren Millar said:
‘These proposals are totally unsustainable and will over-stretch local services such as the Abergele Medical Centre and schools. Infrastructure such as roads and drainage systems are already under pressure in the town and an additional 870 new homes will only make these problems worse.
‘The Council’s housing targets are based on housing market assessments that were undertaken at the height of the property boom when there was a much higher level of demand for housing across the whole of the country. Although demand has fallen dramatically since then, these targets are being centrally driven by Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and this is going to have a big detrimental impact in the area.
‘It is totally unacceptable and irresponsible for Conwy County Borough Council to impose these proposals against the wishes of local people. These proposals should be scrapped and the Council must go back to the drawing board.’
Darren has made a formal request to Conwy County Borough Council for an extension to the consultation on the deadline for objections to the proposals, which currently closes on the 26th April.
Darren said: ‘It is irresponsible for the Council to be consulting on the Development Plan during a Welsh Assembly election period when Wales is without AMs. Local people rely on their Assembly Members to make representations on their behalf.’
