AN OUTLINE application for three homes in the Betws area of Ammanford have been refused by the council.

An application was submitted by Ms Delyth Thomas for outline permission for three detached residential homes on land at Woodlands Park, Betws.

The outline application is a resubmission of a previous application that was granted, but the time had lapsed on it for the development. This submission would see the same access road/lane that would terminate at the end and there would be a hammer head for vehicles to turn.

The land has not been used since the original application was approved, but has been maintained to avoid overgrowth of vegetation.

On January 15, Carmarthenshire County Council refused the outline application stating that it was contrary to policies SP14 and EQ4, Chapter 6 of Planning Policy Wales, TAN5 and the Draft SPG. It is contrary to these policies as the application would cause the loss of biodiversity, specifically habitats.

Planning officers stated that the application made no attempt to ‘address the loss of the purple moor grass and rush pasture’ and that the mitigation hierarchy has not been followed. The application also failed to explain any exceptional circumstances that would clearly outweigh the need to safeguard the biodiversity and nature conservation interests, or that it would have an acceptable effect on nature.

The application was also refused as it did not comply with the Policy AH1 on affordable housing as the applicant had not entered into an affordable housing agreement.