Plans for a 27 affordable home development have been submitted to Anglesey Council on land just off the A55.

DU Construction Ltd has unveiled full planning proposals on land accessed from the existing Garnedd housing estate in Llanfairpwll, standing next to the expressway.

Applying for a mix of houses, ranging from one to four bedrooms, the developers stress that all will be designated as affordable housing and, as a result, conform to planning policy as the site borders the village development boundary.

The supporting documents say:”Policy TAI 16 allows proposals for 100 per cent affordable housing schemes on sites immediately adjacent to development boundaries that form a reasonable extension to the settlement to be permitted, subject to there being a proven local need for affordable housing that cannot reasonably be delivered within a reasonable timescale on a market site inside the development boundary.”

But during the pre-consultation phase, concerns were raised by local residents including feedback from Llanfairpwll Community Council who considered the application site to be “unsuitable.”

Among their concerns, raised in the report, include the loss of greenfield land and a resulting increase in traffic along Y Garnedd, which was said to be narrow.

Noting that the council had no objection in principle to more affordable or social housing,  there were also reservations regarding a detrimental effect on local services such as the school and health centre.

But developers feel there is a need for such housing in the village, noting: “Figures received from the Joint Planning Policy Unit in December 2020 confirmed that during the Plan period, only two affordable units have been delivered in Llanfairpwll and there are no current planning permissions under which affordable housing could be delivered in the immediate future.

“There are no other sites windfall sites within the development boundary where affordable housing units would be expected to come forward to fully meet the need for affordable units.”

But acknowledging that the site’s location next to the busy expressway could raise concerns, assessments on both air quality and noise impacts have also been carried out and submitted as part of the plans.

The applicants added: “The site’s proximity to the North Wales Expressway A55 corridor requires consideration of potential effects on the residential amenity of the occupiers of the proposed dwellings from a noise and air quality perspective.

“The application is accompanied by a Noise Impact Assessment and an Air Quality Assessment both of which conclude that there would be no unacceptable effects to the residential amenity of the occupiers of the proposed dwellings from noise and air pollution.”

It’s expected that Anglesey Council planning officers will consider the application over the coming weeks.