An extra five years has been given to developers so that they can come up with detailed proposals for a major housing scheme in Brecon.

In July 2023, Mr and Mrs Fellowes lodged an application with Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority (BBNPA) to vary condition two of outline planning permission for 30 houses to be built on land north of Camden Crescent in Brecon, which had been agreed in 2020.

The original application had been refused by BBNPA’s planning committee in October 2019.

But this decision was overturned by Welsh Government planning inspectors and permission was granted in September 2020.

This establishes the principle of building housing on the land.

However, the scheme has been hampered by rules on phosphate discharges into rivers and their impact on SACs (Special Areas of Conservation) – including the River Usk, which flows through Brecon.

Under the original permission, the developers had until September 2023 to submit a reserved matters planning application, which provides the detail for the scheme.

Planning agent Dylan Green of Asbri Planning Limited explained that issues around phosphate implications had made firms wary of taking on the development and producing detailed plans within the timescale.

When the new application was made in July 2023, Mr Green said: “We have been advising the client over the last couple of months, particularly around the phosphate implications on the River Wye SAC in Brecon.

“As Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water are currently undertaking upgrading of the treatment works, it is understood that the upgrading will allow for a connection from the development site into the public combined sewer.

“These works are scheduled to be completed by June 2024; therefore, we propose to submit a section 73 application to renew the previous outline permission for another five years.”

In April, Dŵr Cymru said that they had “no objection” to the proposal as the work has now been completed.

Amy Marshall of Dŵr Cymru said: “The proposed development site is located in the catchment of a public sewerage system which drains to Brecon Wastewater Treatment Works (WwTW) and ultimately discharges to a river Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

“We have considered the impact of foul flows generated by the proposed development and concluded that flows can be accommodated within the immediate public sewerage system.”

Planning case officer Lisa Hughes said: “Any proposed development within SAC catchments that might increase the amount of phosphate within the catchment could lead to additional damaging effects to the SAC features and therefore such proposals must be screened through a Habitat Regulations Assessment (HRA) to determine whether they are likely to have a significant effect on the SAC condition.

“The conclusion of the updated appropriate assessment is that adverse effects on the River Usk SAC can only be avoided by the application of planning conditions.

“NRW have been consulted and responded confirming agreement with the conclusion of the updated assessment.”

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She agreed the time extension, which gives a new deadline of May 28, 2031, for the detailed proposal to come forward.