This GE map will help you to identify the sites referred to in this Article :

Feidr Bentick/Feidr Eglwys Sites Map

Land North of Feidr Eglwys (Site HA 824)

This site was not one of those identified by the Landscape Planning Consultants employed by the NPA in 2007 but rather came forward at the Preferred Strategy Consultation Stage (Winter 2008) as a proposal made by the local County Councillor acting as agent for some of the land owners. It is proposed for upto 12 houses, 8 of which are to be “affordable housing” on two fields to the north of Fedir Eglwys and to the west of its junction with Feidr Bentick. This site is now the largest single site proposed by the NPA in the LDP and has attracted much objection from local residents. In particular, the highway use implications, given the narrowness of the surrounding lanes, and the proposal to set back the Pembrokeshire hedgebank along the north side of Feidr Eglwys has caused much constenation.

Our Submissions :

Alternate sites south of Goat Street (Sites Alt 1056 & Alt 1057)

The landowners of thie HA 825 site, who wish to see this development proposal go forward, have formed a company called “Bentick Developments Inc”. However they argue that the requiirment for 70% affordable housing contribution is economically too onerous and makes the project not viable as a profitable development. Accordingly they have proposed a further two sites to come forward in a phased manner (i.e. only after the main site is developed) for further housing , but which is not then limited by the making of an affordable housing contribution.

The consideration of these sites has been coupled together with two furhter sets of proposals for houising development in the surrounding area.

Land south of Drwsynant  ( Site  HA 825)

Firstly, the Consultants identified the paddock to the south of Drwsynant (Site 824) as suitable for a further four dwellings, which was subsequnetly taken on board and recommended by the NPA. Although note well that because this is for the allocation of less than 5 houses, it is classified by them as a so-called sub-allocation and does not appear on many maps they produce as a formal allocation site. We are informed that once again this allocation has taken place without the concurrence of the land owner, but we do not know definitavely.

Land South of New Housing on Feidr Eglwys  (Site 905)

Secondly, the Town Council (NTC) has proposed this site on the enclosure immediatley to the east of the HA 825 site, which they asserted has the clear advantage that it could use the existing cul-de-sac accessed off Feidr Egwlys as site access to a new development to the rear, rather than needing yet a further junction being created onto that lane. However, the NPA feels that this site is much more prominent and visually sentiive than the neighbouring site and has opposed it.

 Our Submissions on the comparison between these two sites :

Land East of Fedir Bentick  (Site 906)

Finally the NTC has also proposed this site on land immediately to the south of the main raod (opposite Richards Bros Bus & Coach Depot), to be accessed off the main road inside the 30mph speed limit, and thereby avoiding any additional traffic movement demands being placed on the narrow lanes around Feidr Bentick and Feidr Eglwys. Since proposing this site they (the NTC) have clarified that they would see development (certainly in the first instance) as only taking place on the north side of the western most part of the site (i.e. closeest to the junction of Feidr Bentick with the main road).

Our Submissions :

Site HA 220 (Matthew Baker Caravan Site – South Field) and

Site HA 609 (Land East of Maes Curig)

This GE overlay will help you to appreciate where the sites in the Parrog Hill Area are.

Parrog Hill Sites Map

In essence the Group takes the view that the allocation of these sites is impractical, not viable and undesirable for the reasons set out in the arguments. In particular we are astounded by the excuses found by the NPA for the quite remarkanble fact that it was not untill they were well over two years into the development of the LDP process, and advertising the present Statutory Deposit Version of the Plan, that they thought to post notices on the entrace to the Caravan Site and then only thereby let Mr Meyrick and his family, the longstanding site owners and land tenants, who are utterly opposed to the use of this site for residential housing instead, know of their intention to so recommend this site for an affordable housing allocation.

The highway problems concerning the access to the site, and onto Parrog Road off the A487(T), are well know to towns people. The Group is also concerned about the loss of economic and social contribution to the extended holiday season which would result from the replacement of the static caravan visitors with ‘affordable’ homes residents.

See our formal submissions on the two allocations proposed for this site here :

Site 220 : South field allocation site

Site 609  : Land East of Maes Curig

Submissions relevant to both sites at Preferred Strategy Stage 2008  (NAEG 006)

Site 771  (Land beneath Maes Curig)

It is important to repeat here that it is the firm policy of the Group not to support or oppose any particular individual proposal for the allocation of land for housing in Newport , but rather to test and examine the rationale and policy based justifications offered by the PCNPA for having approved or rejected them, from the perspective of seeking an consistent, rationale, comprehensive final plan and thus from the desire to create achievable plan proposals in this regard.

In this regard we note that the NPA has informed several representatives for alternative housing sites in the Park that their proposals are in effect automatically precluded in their view either because the site has been previously rejected by themselves on a planning application, or particularly because it has been rejected by the Inspector who considered it at the time of the JUDP inquiry process. Accordingly, we wonder why an apparently very different standard has been applied with respect to this site. Details of the relevant planning hiistory background are to found in the following separate Report :

Report on Site 771.

In essence, the Group takes the view that, because the NPA uses (or at least were originally intending to use) the boundary line which is set out in the LDP as the so-called “Centre Line” , meaning the development boundary about the town as a defined ‘population centre’ in the Park,  in order to determine such items as the relevant population, it is particularly important that this line is not limited to an arbitrary boundary, tightly drawn to enclose solely the existing and continguous residential housing development, and extendend to include only that contiguous land or sites allocated by the plan for future such development ; but rather that it should be drawn about the historic and modern physical and natural limits of the town, as an established geographic settlment pattern, enclosing all of the residential housing which comprises the population of our ancient commmunity.

Including in particular the Castle and the Church ?

We feel that this especially important as it is not just the NPA itself which, once approved, will look to the area inside the line as compromising the ‘settlment of Newport’, but our experience to-date has shown that many other bodies, both statutory and non-governmental, who are instrumental in enabling such matters as funding and provision of community and social facilities, also often simply look to this LDP designation, as the definiton of the settlement limits. Accordingly, we strongly feel that it is not only inadequate, but potentially very damaging, for the NPA to so limit the definitive size of the town.

These are the documents which we have submitted in support of our arguments :

Written argument only

Formal representation

(NAEG 011) 1999 LDP Newport Inset Map (dated 1995)

– showing much larger area enclosed by then Settlement Limit

(NAEG 013) JUDP Inspector’s Report conclusion on the purpose and function of the making of Settlment Limits (JUDP Policy 42)

(NAEG 012) JUDP 2006 Newport Settlment Limit as finally adopted by the NPA (Inset Plan Map 71)

(NAEG 015) Proposed Newport LDP ‘centre line’ as in LDP Deposit Draft Newport Inset Map

(NAEG 016) Statistical Boundary Produced by NPA –

after considering NAEG Objection to Newport population figure

Census Statistic Newport Suboutput areas

(NAEG 010) NAEG proposal as to appropriate Newport ‘centre line’ for LDP