The Vale of Glamorgan Council’s Planning Committee has granted permission for 90 temporary units of accommodation on the former Eagleswell School site in Llantwit Major for a fixed period.
The units are a mix of single and two storey homes for use by couples and families either fleeing the war in Ukraine or already on the Council’s housing waiting list, with the first residents set to move in later this summer.
Originally, it was anticipated that the new temporary homes would be used exclusively for Ukrainian refugees. However, as time has passed it now appears the site will have extra capacity.
The provision of temporary homes at this site is in line with the Council’s commitment to assist those who have suffered forced displacement as a result of the conflict in Ukraine and also reflects an urgent need to increase the availability of homes at a time when there is a significant shortage of housing and a growing waiting list and increasing levels of homelessness.
The use of the site will be important in easing the pressure for Council housing and will also represent a far more dignified solution than the use of substantially more expensive and cramped temporary hotel accommodation.
The total cost of the development is £24 million, funded jointly by the Council and Welsh Government, with much of that amount recoverable as the units are reusable and have a 60-year lifespan.
This planning approval has been conditioned so that the units will stay in place for a maximum of five years before they must be dismantled and moved to another location. The Council’s Planning Committee received a range of representations regarding the application, all of which were considered as part of the decision-making process, with some objecting to the appearance of the development and its proximity to nearby properties.
Boundary fencing and landscaping has been installed to help address these concerns, along with the use of opaque glazing to help maintain privacy.
In addition, within the next 12 months, a written plan to remove the units to alternative sites must be submitted to Planning Committee for approval.
This work is to begin 18-months before the expiry of the five-year planning permission, with the units nearest to neighbouring residential properties being removed first to reflect the concerns of neighbouring residents.
