PLANS to more than double the housing allocation on a development have been blasted by local councillors.

The current allocation for 235 houses on Upper Cosmeston Farm is set to be increased to 576 houses.

Independent Sully councillors Bob Penrose and Kevin Mahoney have labelled these latest proposals as "panic measures" from the Vale's planning department, saying that the increase in houses will bring Sully to a "standstill".

Cllr Penrose said that, when combined with at least 350 houses at Cog Road and other planned developments in the village, this could increase the size of Sully by around 40 per cent with the potential for 1000 new houses.

They highlighted the potential impacts this could have on traffic congestion through Cosmeston which could also clog up already congested roads even more in surrounding areas of Sully and Penarth as well as the increased pressure on school places and on the doctor's surgery which are already around capacity.

The Welsh Government planning inspector recommended that the Vale council find more specific sites for their housing allocation after reviewing the council's LDP.

In amendments to the plan, the south eastern Vale has been identified as an area where more housing can be built

But cllr Penrose said: "The sheer scale of new housing will bring Sully to a standstill in what is already a congested area and will have knock on effects for Penarth."

Cllr Mahoney said the proposals "defy belief" citing increased pressure on traffic, school places and the local doctor's surgery.

He said: "It is not hard to see what this will do to traffic and other infrastructure problems in the area and the effect it will have on Sully and Penarth.

"Chuck in the mix of the thousands of new houses being built in Barry from where traffic will also be using Sully and Lavernock Road to get to Cardiff on a daily basis.

"It has already been established by independent councillors that the housing allocation contained in the submitted draft LDP is far too high for the estimated population growth in the Vale based on figures released by the Welsh Assembly.

"You can't just keep building and building in the same places."

Cllr Lis Burnett, cabinet member for regeneration and education, said: "The council’s preferred plan for delivering the housing that we know the Vale of Glamorgan requires was submitted to Welsh Government earlier this year.

"It was, however, the verdict of the planning inspector appointed to review the document that some changes should be made.

"One of these changes was the specific allocation of additional land for housing to provide certainty on where future housing growth would occur.

"Alongside this change, the overall dwelling supply figure has dropped from 10,452 to 10,408.

"The reason for this change is that the inspector has placed a greater reliance on the need for allocated sites and a lesser reliance on windfall (or unallocated growth) during the plan period.

"In updating the plan we have followed the advice of the planning inspector and Welsh Government, and that advice was also clear that the focus should be on allocating sites in the south east of the Vale of Glamorgan, and we have adapted the LDP accordingly."

She also said it was "unfair and totally unacceptable" to criticise one of the highest performing council planning departments in Wales when they are following statutory process and independent advice.