More than two years after plans were unveiled to build 134 homes in Ystradgynlais, work is still ongoing on the application, according to the developers.

The proposal by Persimmon Homes West Wales, which includes two, three, and four-bedroom properties, forms the second phase of a wider development on land west of the former Penrhos School on Brecon Road.

The application was submitted to Powys County Council in January 2023, marking the second phase of a larger housing development in the area. It followed an earlier application by Persimmon Homes for 42 homes - referred to as phase one - which received planning approval in August 2022.

A spokesman for Persimmon Homes said: “We’re in the process of amending the plans carrying out additional survey work and will be submitting a revised suite of information in the spring.”

The most recent publicly available report relating to the application was published in May 2024 on Powys County Council's planning portal. It came from the Coal Authority, which has since been rebranded by the UK Government as the Mining Remediation Authority.

In it, the authority raised “substantive concern” about the proposal.

This is because geological reports indicate that a mine shaft is “recorded to be present within the site.”

The Coal Authority said: “There exists the potential for unrecorded coal mine workings to be present beneath the site at shallow depth.

“This mining legacy is considered to pose a potential risk of instability to development proposals at the site.”

Ystradgynlais Town Council said it had “no objection” to the proposal when it was discussed, but raised several points for consideration. These included the need for affordable housing within the scheme, and a review of local infrastructure and resources.

The council also said that a financial contribution from the developers towards local health and education provision would be necessary to support the anticipated influx of families.

Huw Williams, Powys County Councillor for Abercraf and Ystradgynlais (Labour), has also requested that the application be “called in” for determination by the planning committee.

Cllr Williams said: “I have spoken to residents living in the vicinity of this proposed development and the agreed view is that I should ‘call in’ this application for determination by committee due the scale of the development and the environmental and visual impact.”

“There are also other concerns which the residents would also wish to articulate,” he said.

Persimmon Homes had explained their proposal in a design and access statement.

Persimmon Homes said: “The mix offers a wide range of properties including starter, mid-market, and larger family homes.

“The house type style ensures that the proposed dwellings respond to the character of the area.”

They added that the site is considered to be a sustainable location that provides “access” to retail, education, recreational space, employment opportunities and public transport and that the development would provide a “massive boost” to the local economy.

A decision on the application had originally been expected by March 2023, but more than a year later, it remains pending.