BARRY and Vale Friends of the Earth share the reaction of Sully’s independent councillors against the sheer scale of the housing developments proposed for Sully and Penarth, particularly the huge 576-house allocation at Upper Cosmeston Farm.

The claim by Cllr Lis Burnett that the Vale council are just “updating the plan” following “advice of the planning inspector” just won’t wash.

The Vale decided to focus new housing on green-field in the south-east Vale, rather than the brown-field site at Llandow’s old airport.

They told the inspector they wouldn’t need any new road capacity to take all the car traffic, but will facilitate cycling to Cardiff and, possibly run buses from Park and Ride at Cosmeston via the barrage.

They don’t demand extra capacity on our overloaded Barry and Penarth trains, they don’t need to get buses through the Redlands and Windsor Road congestion, they just cross their fingers and plan to duck out before car-mageddon arrives.

What now with the inspector proposals worked up with the Vale officers?

The Labour leaders could recant over the 44 per cent over-supply of housing sites.

They could say planning homes without transport to jobs and services is quite contrary to “sustainable development”.

They could insist the inspector heeds local people’s strong objections.

And they could vote to abandon this badly flawed LDP just like councillors did recently in Caerphilly.

Cllr Lis Burnett could support FoE in encouraging local people to object to this scale of housing as contrary to the LDP declaration that a “high quality transport system is necessary” but none is planned, and contrary to planning principles protecting green fields and environmental quality in the Sully, Penarth and Dinas Powys area.

Max Wallis

Westbourne Road

Penarth