LAND at the former Dinas Powys St Cyres site is set to be sold off to a developer by the Vale Council.

On Monday this week, February 10, Vale Council Cabinet members recommended that the land should be marketed for “residential, community and recreational uses”, subject to statutory planning permission.

Councillor Chris Franks said he and his fellow Dinas Powys councillors had made representations to the cabinet member responsible and were “committed to maintaining the amount of community facilities”, but warned against any housing developments.

“We don’t think the area can sustain more housing, especially considering the infrastructure problems and traffic chaos on Cardiff Road ,” he added.

The land at the former St Cyres Lower School, which is in the freehold ownership of the Vale Council, was declared surplus to requirements at the Cabinet meeting on October 1, 2012.

A Cabinet report said: “It is proposed to market and dispose of the site for a mixed use development comprising residential, community and recreational uses.

“The intention is to market and dispose of the site to secure a single developer or consortium of developers. The successful bidder will be required to complete a master plan for a mixed use development that will deliver new homes, open spaces and opportunities for community and recreational uses within the site.”

A section of the land is already earmarked for a medical centre after the council entered into an agreement with Brackley Investments Limited.

The report added: “The medical centre, if it secures planning permission, would complement the mixed use vision for the site. After subtracting this plot of land the area of the site that is intended for submission for a mixed use development that will deliver new homes, open spaces and opportunities for community and recreational uses is therefore approximately 29.89acres (12 hectares).”

The report adds that while the site remains vacant it may attract anti-social behaviour such as fly tipping and unlawful occupation of the site.

The former Dinas Powys St Cyres site was demolished in

The Penarth Learning Community, where the new St Cyres School will be based as well as special schools Ashgrove, Erw’r Delyn and Ysgol Maes Dyfan, is due to open after the October half term later this year.