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A Beacon of excellence?

The two public bodies responsible for the Brecon Beacons National Park are at loggerheads over controversial proposals to build 200 new homes near Crickhowell. Powys County Council has indicated it may seek legal advice on a possible challenge if national park planners approve the scheme later this week. Eye on Wales reveals how the proposals have led to a rift between the two organisations, following a string of controversial planning cases involving the park authority.

Last updated: 04 June 2010

First broadcast on Sunday 6 June at 4.30pm

Landowners Crickhowell Estates are seeking planning permission for 200 new homes on former Ministry of Defence land at Cwrt-y-Gollen.

The development, close to the busy A40 road from Abergavenny to Crickhowell, would also include a nursing home for the elderly, a pre-school childcare facility and industrial units.

But concerns have been expressed about the size and scale of the development and its location alongside a busy road and on a flood plain.

Opponents also say that local services would struggle to cope with such a large influx of residents and that this could threaten the sustainability of existing communities.

The Campaign for National Parks has also come out in opposition to the scheme, which they described as "unprecedented" in any national park in England and Wales.

Despite strong opposition to the scheme, the Brecon Beacons National Park Authority is recommending its members give the green light for the development when they meet on Tuesday.

And that has set in on a possible collision course with Powys County Council, which shares some of the concerns about the sustainability of the development.

The Cwrt-y-Gollen is the latest in a series of planning controversies that have led to claims that the authority is out of touch and in need of reform.

Powys county councillor John Morris believes the authority is no longer fit for purpose. He wants planning decisions handed back to local county councils, with the park authority as champions for its beauty.

The Brecon Beacon National Park Authority tells the programme that it understands that feelings can run high over large-scale development but - like all local authorities - it is accountable for its statutory responsibilities.

The landowner, Crickhowell Estates, says it has consulted widely on the proposals and is encouraged by the park officers' recommendation to approve what it describes as a "regeneration scheme".


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