Latest news with #SamSwash
Leader Live
18-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Councillor to continue fight against Hawarden 300 homes
Last week, Flintshire Council's planning committee voted in favour of Castle Green Home's Ash Lane development - located between Hawarden and Mancot. The proposal has been fiercely contested by local councillors and residents - and subject to a "Stop the Gladstone Estate Build" campaign, fronted by Hawarden councillor, Sam Swash. The council received 2,500 objections from local residents ahead of the planning meeting. The land had been ear-marked for development in Flintshire's Local Development Plan (LDP) - despite grave concerns over the potential impact on flooding in the already badly hit Sandycroft area, and on the strain placed on local infrastructure. Following the meeting, Cllr Swash has voiced his anger at the decision - and vowed to continue the fight against the development. He said: "This is, without a doubt, a major setback – but it isn't the end of the road. "I've fought this proposal from the very beginning, and I've always said: I won't stop fighting until there are bricks in the ground. I am not giving up. "Not when our doctors are already at more than double the safe number of patients. Not when residents in Lower Mancot and Sandycroft are being flooded again and again. Not when traffic chaos outside our schools is putting children's safety at risk." The layout of the Ash Lane development. (Image: Planning documents) MORE NEWS: An online petition set up by a local resident calling for the decision to be overturned has already gathered over 1,000 signatures. It states: "The decision not only threatens to exacerbate traffic hazards but also increases the flood potential of the area. The residents of Sandycroft, and Sandycroft Primary School are particularly at risk of flooding. "The Ash Lane agricultural fields are the natural boundary between the villages of Hawarden and Mancot. Building these houses will destroy the historical identities for both villages. Eliminating this green space will have severe consequences for local residents already wary of environmental threats. "Moreover, the addition of 300 new houses will place an incredible strain on essential public services which are already stretched beyond their limits. "The demand for GP appointments, NHS dental services, and local school places will surge, negatively impacting the quality of life for all residents. It's crucial to assess whether our current infrastructure can cope with this potential increase, a concern many local residents share." Cllr Swash added: "There are still barriers for the developer to overcome. If they think we're going to roll over while they ride roughshod over our community's views, they're in for a surprise. "To everyone who has supported the campaign – who emailed, submitted objections, attended meetings, or put up placards – thank you. I know many of you will feel as angry and distraught as I do. "But this fight isn't over. The next steps in our campaign are already being drawn up – and your support will remain absolutely vital. So, watch this space."
Leader Live
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
Fury as 300-home plan for Hawarden approved by councillors
There were angry scenes and cries of 'shame' from the public gallery after the authority's planning committee voted 6-4 in favour of Castle Green's plans to build 300 homes - including 105 affordable homes managed by ClwydAlyn Housing - on land between Gladstone Way and Ash Lane on the border between Hawarden and Mancot. The land in question is included as development land within the current Local Development Plan (LDP). The plans have been subject to sustained local opposition for a number of years - around 700 formal responses were lodged with the council opposing the scheme - and there was a heated debate within Ty Dewi Sant on Wednesday afternoon. Flintshire People's Voice councillor Sam Swash has been one of the leading supporters of the campaign against the development and told the committee the additional pressure on local services would be too great. "Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board themselves say that it works to a best practice ration of one GP per 2,500 patients. "The current ratio at the Stables Medical Practice in Hawarden is one GP per 5,143 patients. No-one is claiming that planning can solve deficiencies in healthcare, but it should not make them worse. "The board goes on to say 'concerns are shared across practices in the wider north east Flintshire cluster area who anticipate overstretched capacity to cater for new patients. "That is a clear warning from our own health board. Despite that this council is asking you to ignore your eyes and ears and make an already dire situation worse. "At every stage the message from our community has been loud, consistent and clear. You must judge this application on its own merits - or lack of them. "This is not nimbyism. The 2,500 plus people who signed the petition, the many people who have emailed you and who are in this chamber today do not all live next to the site but all have one thing in common. They rely on you to act in their best interests." Local resident and chartered civil engineer David Rowlinson also spoke out against the proposal. "Our community's deepest fear is the loss of identity between Hawarden and Mancot. These are distinct villages with their own character. "Hawarden already merges with Ewloe and Aston. What we are looking at doesn't even provide the bare minimum - a clear boundary between the settlements. "We are village communities with gardens for our children to play in, off-road parking and space. Since the LDP stage this design has been pushed beyond the limit squeezing more houses into less space. "Why? Because the original design wasn't commercially viable after paying for flood mitigation, drainage upgrades and coal mining remediation." Read more: Planning committee urged to reject 300-home Hawarden plan Controversial 300-home development in Flintshire village recommended for approval Flooding downstream for Mancot, Sandycroft and Pentre was a core focus for the opponents of the scheme at committee. Hawarden Community Council's representative, Cllr Ant Turton, focused on the risk of flooding: "I have personally helped residents during floods - clearing drains, moving soaked belongings, trying to minimise the damage. "This is not hypothetical. Some of my residents have been forced out of their homes on more than one occasion." Cllr Turton added: "Any decision to allow 300 more homes with a hard surface and drainage downhill is a kick in the teeth for those who have been flooded time and time again. "Castle Green's assertion that their design will make the situation no worse is indicative of their attitude to the problems faced by our community. "We deserve better than not making things worse. My community deserves better. Reject, or at the very least, demand better than this." Cllr Turton also accused the contribution of around £1.5m to Hawarden Village and Hawarden High Schools of being 'woeful'. "Neither is viable for expansion and what about Sandycroft CP School, " he said. "Not a single penny is proposed for them." Cllr Adele Davies-Cooke cited the land's rating as 3a and 3b agricultural land - a food-grade of land that the Welsh Government has said should be protected. "Humans need to eat," she said. "This isn't just any parcel of land. It's among the best most versatile farmland in Wales. You can't replace it. This will jeopardise local fuel security. "It deserves preservation, not permanent destruction." Committee members Cllr Carol Ellis and Cllr Mike Peers added they too found it difficult to see the justification for such a large development effectively conjoining two villages. Cllr Chris Bithell however said that the council's hands were tied. "We could oppose this and all go home patting ourselves on the back but it would be a pyrrhic victory," he said. "In a matter of weeks the applicant would appeal and the matter would be decided by a planning inspector. As the land is allocated for development in the LDP the application would be approved regardless."
Leader Live
09-06-2025
- Business
- Leader Live
Planning committee urged to reject 300-home Hawarden plan
Flintshire People's Voice councillor Sam Swash - who represents the Hawarden Mancot ward - has supported residents' campaigning against plans to develop on agricultural land at Ash Lane off Gladstone Way for six years. With Flintshire County Council planning officers recommending approval of the scheme this week, Cllr Swash has asked councillors to back Hawarden residents who have opposed the plans since they were first proposed. "This is the most unpopular housing development in Flintshire's history," said Cllr Swash. "It has led to the largest petition ever submitted to Flintshire County Council, hundreds of placards being erected across the local community and the most objections to a single planning application in the county's recent history." Read more: 300-home Ash Lane, Hawarden development backed for approval Opposition to developing the land began in 2019 when the agricultural fields between Gladstone Way, Ash Lane and Park Avenue on the Hawarden/Mancot border were first included in Flintshire's Local Development Plan. Opponents quickly formed an action group - Stop the Gladstone Estate Development - and a Facebook page to oppose the plans. The land - now owned by Castle Green Homes - continued to be earmarked for development in the county's 2015 Local Development Plan. In March last year the application was submitted to Flintshire County Council's planning department to build 300 homes - including 104 affordable homes - on the site. Of 697 neighbours notified of the plans during consultation, 684 objected to the plans. There were also objections from Hawarden Community Council and Queensferry Community Council with regard the impact on flood risk on the proposed site and the surrounding areas and the pressure the development would place on local services, while Clwyd Badger Group were concerned about the impact on badgers active near the site. Nevertheless officers have recommended approval of the scheme, subject to a Section 106 order which would see Hawarden Village School receive just over £625,000 to make improvements to serve the new estate while Hawarden High School would receive almost £950,000. Cllr Swash believes the weight of local opposition means councillors on Flintshire's Planning Committee should refuse the application when it is considered on Wednesday at Flintshire Council's Ty Dewi Sant headquarters. "For those councillors with a vote on Wednesday, there is no more hiding behind the Local Development Plan," he said. "They must now judge this site on its own merits, or lack of them. "The choice facing them is a simple one - they can vote to stand with the people they're elected to represent, or they can vote to approve a demonstrably reckless plan for the benefit of private housing developers. "The Hawarden community has been completely united in its opposition to these plans for years, and with good reason. This is the council's final opportunity to restore our community's trust in local democracy, by listening to the overwhelming views of the people this development will impact on a daily basis."
Leader Live
06-06-2025
- Politics
- Leader Live
300-home Ash Lane, Hawarden development backed for approval
The controversial application is for land to the west of Gladstone Way and west of Ash Lane in Hawarden. The site, which is within Flintshire's Local Development Plan (LDP) is approximately 27.33 acres (11.06 hectares) and consists of a number of agricultural fields bound by existing residential properties on its northern, eastern and western boundaries. Land beyond the site's southern boundary is open countryside currently in use for agricultural purposes. The layout of the proposed development. (Image: Planning documents) Of the 300 homes proposed - 105 would be designated afforable housing. Castle Green Homes submitted the planning application last year - and it is set to be decided on by Flintshire Council's planning committee next week. And planning officials have recommended the scheme for approval. An officer's report states: "The site is an allocated housing site in the LDP. The development is acceptable in principle and meets the requirements of the housing allocation in accordance with the LDP. "The layout, public open space provision, biodiversity enhancements and other detailed technical considerations are considered to be acceptable and in accordance with policy. As such it is recommended that the application is approved subject to the commuted sums and conditions." MORE NEWS: Both Hawarden and Queensferry community councils have objected to the scheme, and there have been 2,500 objections from local residents. The site has been subject to a "Stop the Gladstone Estate Build" campaign, fronted by Hawarden councillor, Sam Swash. There are grave concerns over the impact on flooding, the loss of green space and inadequate local infrastructure to meet the need of extra population.
