AN APPEAL has been launched to raise money for a legal challenge to the fight to go ahead decision to allow 110 houses to be built at Marl Lane, Deganwy.

A planning inspector decided to allow the houses to be built after a long battle with nearby residents. Beech Developments of Llandudno Junction appealed against a refusal by Conwy County Borough Council, and a three day long public inquiry was held last September. The Inspector’s go ahead was given earlier this month.

North Wales Pioneer: The planning inspector visiting the Marl Lane siteThe planning inspector visiting the Marl Lane site

Now residents plan to raise money to see whether a legal review of the Inspector’s decision can be made as they believe it was flawed.

Ruth Parker, one of the leaders of the fund raising campaign, the Marl Residents Action Group, said: “We are raising money to challenge the legality of the Inspector’s decision. We want to know whether the Welsh Government is doing what the legal statutes say they should, and the only way to test this is in a court.

“The Well Being of Future Generations Act of 2015 states development should be sustainable and we want to find out what is necessary to show a development is sustainable. We need the funds to instruct a lawyer to give an opinion on the strength of the case, and we recognise the need to test this in a court.

“I feel the evidence presented at the Inquiry was flawed. The Inspector concluded health facilities were adequate because the Health Board had not objected to the development. But we have evidence to show the number of patients per GP in the area is nearly twice as high as the overall average for Wales. Further the Health Board sent an email to the planning authority, Conwy council, stating they could not give specific answers because they did not have enough evidence.”

The Marl Residents Action Group, Planning Justice for Wales crowd funding page said: “Time is short because a statutory review of the decision to grant planning must be brought within six weeks of the date of the decision (February 5th). In this time a case is assessed by lawyers and paper work is prepared and sent to court. This whole process is estimated to cost around £10,000 just to get the case looked at by a Judge.”