Yahoo News Residents up in arms over 'merger' of posh Welsh village with neighbour
Residents of a Welsh village named one of the UK's best and those living in a neighbouring village have shared their concern at a development which would effectively merge the two. Residents of Hawarden and Mancot, two Welsh villages in Flintshire, have voiced their worries over a proposed 300-home development which locals fear will overwhelm their communities, as schools, dentists, GP surgeries are already at capacity, roads are congested, and local cemeteries are running out of space.
The planned Castle Green Homes development is set to take place on land off Ash Lane in Mancot, with an additional 315 homes proposed for land off Holywell Road in Ewloe, Flintshire, just two miles away. Those living in Hawarden, previously named one of the UK's best villages by the Sunday Times, and its neighbour Mancot, are strongly opposing the Ash Lane development. They worry it could lead to overcrowded roads and changes to school priority lists.
It comes after concern the ongoing construction of 767 homes at the Airfields site in Sealand has already stretched local services thin. There are fears that the Ash Lane project could effectively merge Hawarden, a village of 1,887 residents, with Mancot, a community of 3,462 people formed from three former hamlets.
Only a few fields would separate Hawarden, known for its fountain, residential library, and some of Flintshire's priciest properties, from Mancot, once home to a peanut factory and cabaret nights and whose name is thought to mean "humble dwelling", reports North Wales Live. For the latest Welsh news delivered to your inbox sign up to our newsletter
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Flintshire councillor Sam Swash, representing both villages, has sworn "complete resistance" against the developments. He said: "Everybody knows that this reckless development is completely inappropriate," further noting the impacts on existing and new residents due to dwindling services and mounting pressure on local infrastructure.
Despite mounting objections, the sites in question - Mancott and Ewloe - were included in Flintshire's Local Development Plan (LDP), which was greenlit in January 2023. This ambitious planning strategy playbills land for 7,870 homes, aiming to fulfil a housing requirement of 6,950 dwellings.
Following an open consultation period, Castle Green has applyied for planning permission for a mixture of 300 flats and houses between Ash Lane and Gladstone Way. Of those, 105 homes are categorised as affordable housing. In addition to bricks and mortar, Castle Green has also promised communal assets including a playground and public open spaces.
The deadline to lodge any objections imminently approaches on Tuesday, April 16 and already, over the last seven days or so, a strong contigent of 239 villagers have registered their disapproval of the proposal.
One concerned resident from Mancot aired grievances on social media: "Cannot cope with any more vehicles speeding through. (It's) absolutely shocking." In the face of local backlash, one resident added: "It's getting ridiculous now - 300 in Ewloe and 300 in Hawarden. You can't get into the doctors now. And imagine another 1,200 plus cars coming through the villages."
The proposed development on Holywell Road, on 25 acres of farmland in Ewloe, is still in its early stages. A pre-application consultation has been started, and a formal application is likely to be lodged later this year.
Castle Green Homes plans to include a diverse mix of flats and terraced, semi-detached, and detached homes with some 126 deemed 'affordable'. It also pledged there will be funding available to fortify local amenities and upgrade infrastructure.
According to a design and access statement, the nearest GP facilities are located in Connah's Quay roughly 2.5km away, and a dental surgery less than 1km away in St Davids Park, Ewloe. The statement adds: "Overall it is considered that the site is well served by existing healthcare provisions."
