OUTLINE plans have been lodged for 53 homes to the north of Pontypool.

If given the go-ahead by Torfaen County Borough Council then the homes will be built on land to the west of Varteg Road.

The land is currently unoccupied grassland and sits next to a community centre and primary school.

This outline application deals with the number of homes and access – the type of homes will be determined in a later reserved application.

However, a planning statement indicates that there will be a mix of one-bedroom apartments and two, three and four bedroom homes.

Of the 53 homes, three will be affordable. Two one bedroom flats would be created for social housing and one two-bedroom home would be intermediate. This means that the price would be set above social rent but below market levels.

Many of the homes will be terraces, with an occasional two-storey semi-detached or detached property in the development.

The site has previously been subject to a planning application for 53 homes, which was granted on appeal in 2011. However, this permission has now lapsed, so a new application is required.

Access to the site would be via Green Avenue, which would lead to the rear parking courts as direct vehicular access to the houses is not part of the plans.

Green Street would also serve as a secondary route through the site for the remainder of the properties, while pedestrians would access the site via a footpath from Varteg Road. 

An area of open space is proposed as part of the plans and would be located in the south eastern area of the site. 

Two objections were received from local residents as part of a pre-application consultation.

The concerns raised include the impact on local facilities including schools and doctors surgeries, flooding, landscape preservation, drainage and traffic issues. 

A report says: “Relatively few community responses were received, so it is not possible to accurately conclude what the most fundamental concerns relating to the proposed development are.”

However, it said the site has been picked due to the facilities in the neighbouring area.

Regarding flooding, the site sits in Flood Zone A, where there is considered to be little or no risk to flooding. 

The developer sought pre-application advice from the council before submitting the application.

Due to the nature and size of the development the council has indicated that there would be section 106 requirements, which would involve financial contributions to the local area and a certain number of affordable homes.

The affordable homes proposed meets the required five per cent affordable housing requirement.

The financial contributions which could be required under the plans include £1,136 per house for adult recreation and £508 per house for children’s play provision.

An offsite footpath leading to a bus stop would also be required.

The planning application will be determined by the council in the coming months.