With Denbighshire’s councillors passing phase one of the Glasdir development last week and proposals for some 800 houses in Llanelwy/St Asaph, the issue of new housing is very much on the Denbighshire agenda.We’ve said here before that Glasdir may actually be good for Rhuthun’s sustainability, particualry if post-Tesco town centre trade has slumped.
Townsfolk appear to be pretty much evenly split over the Glasdir housing issue, if the people who voted on a Denbighshire Free Press’ web poll are representative (we’ve no idea of knowing if they are).
The question remains: will the town’s services and infrastructure be able to cope with 230 new houses (178 in the first phase)? The town council is concerned that it won’t and therefore did not back the plans. Denbighshire’s planners think it will.
But if Rhuthun cannot cope with what is likely to be a 10 per cent popualtion increase, how will it manage with growth in surrounding “key” villages, each of which will rely on Rhuthun for shops, lesiure, some employment, secondary and some primary schooling? Villages such as Clawddnewydd, Pentre Llanrhaeadr and Pwllglas are all earmarked for substantial housing growth. All will have an impact in their own settings and on Rhuthun.
Does it make more sense to build the area’s new housing stock on the fringe of a town such as Rhuthun than in a rural area? Would this then promote accessibility to facilities, sustainability and shortens the distances travelled?