PLANS to build up to 53 homes in Varteg have been rejected by councillors due to concern over a lack of facilities in the area.

An outline application for the development on land west of Varteg Road, made up of three fields, was unanimously refused by Torfaen council’s planning committee on Thursday.

Planning officers had recommended refusal due to concern over the ‘isolated’ nature of the area and the impact of the proposals on a route to the Blaenavon World Heritage Site.

The only facilities in the area are a pub, a Welsh medium school and a community hall.

Cllr Stuart Ashley said there is a bus route which goes to the site, but he said “it is in the middle of nowhere”.

“I just wonder why anyone ever thought of putting something up there because that landscape is very precious and it’s one of the few we’ve got like that,” he said.

Cllr Janet Jones voiced worries over the impact of the development on the world heritage site and Varteg.

“It’s a small community and I’ve got concerns if this went through about the impact it would have on the schools, the doctors surgeries as well as the impact on the environment,” she said.

A planning application for up to 53 homes on the site was granted on appeal in 2011 – but the permission for the development has now lapsed.

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Planning officers said there have been changes in planning guidance since then which places greater emphasis on the sustainability of locations, and encourages housing where there is not a need to travel.

Cllr Gwyn Jenkins asked what the options would be if an appeal was lodged by the applicant against a refusal of the application.

Rebecca McAndrew, principal planner at the council, said it would be unlikely the council would face any costs relating to an appeal due to planning guidance around sustainability of locations.

“I think we’ve got a very strong case that this site is not sustainable,” she said.

The proposals included a mix of one-bedroom apartments, two-, three- and four-bedroom homes.

Cllr Steven Evans said he had no objection to the designs put forward, but that the location proposed is “not the right place”.

The application was refused due to the location not representing sustainable development, concern the development would “unduly harm the character and appearance” of the area and a lack of information about a sustainable drainage scheme.