National Park is partly to blame for Bettws Newydd issue (From Western Telegraph)

National Park is partly to blame for Bettws Newydd issue

9:00am Wednesday 10th March 2010 in

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Dear Editor

The article about Bettws Newydd (February 24th) stated that although planning permission was originally granted in 2006, ‘it was subsequently found to have been built in the different place and 18 inches higher than the original plans.’ Cathy Milner, the National Park’s head of development management, says it is stuck ‘between a rock and hard place’, but this uncomfortable position is largely of the park’s own making for several reasons.

The original planning permission contravened one of the park authority’s own policies that states any new building should not be more visually intrusive than the one that it replaces.

The construction work was not adequately monitored and the house was built in the wrong place and not to the agreed dimensions.

Concerns expressed by local people during the construction went virtually unheeded. The response was, ‘It will be alright when it’s finished’ but that is not the best time to think about modifications.

As an advocate of the park, it saddens me that ‘own goals’ such as this do nothing to enhance the public’s opinion of the authority.

This affair has added much ‘grist to the mill’ of those who would like to see planning taken away from the national park and transferred to the county council.

Derek Rowland
Penmynydd Uchaf,
Dinas Cross,
Newport.