Councillors will be advised to approve a controversial development in Caersws when they meet next week to discuss the application.

But the final say on the application to build 29 homes at Pen-y-Borfa in Caersws could be taken by a Welsh Government minister.

The application, by Towyn Marine Properties Ltd on behalf of the landowners Alwyn and Geraint Jarman, was lodged with Powys County Council back in November 2023.

The scheme will go before councillors at a meeting of the Planning committee on Wednesday, February 19.

The development is for two four-bedroom detached homes, 11 three-bedroom detached homes, 10 three-bedroom semi-detached homes and six three-bedroom terraced houses.

Three of the homes would be “affordable.”

Local county councillor for Caersws, Les George called in the application after he was requested to do so by the community council and by villagers who oppose the scheme.

Cllr George (Conservative) said: “The major concern is that this particular development will exacerbate the flooding problems experienced in Caersws over the many years which in turn results in the overwhelming of the inadequate sewage system within the village.”

Caersws Community Council discussed the proposal and said they were “all were in agreement “over a number of concerns for the project.

These include concerns over whether the development has adequate sewerage and sufficient parking for residents.

There is also a “lack of confidence” that reducing the size of the development will “alleviate” flooding issues.

The council said that residents are concerned that the development will “cause faster surface water run-off into the Manthrig Brook” which would make the flooding issues worse.

An outline planning application for 43 properties including a “sheltered housing development” on the site was approved by the council’s planning committee back in 2020.

In the summer of 2023, the applicants wanted to amend the approval by deleting the sheltered housing part of the proposal.

But this application was refused and Powys planners advised that a new planning application would be needed to change the size of the development.

Planning agents Etchell’s Architecture said: “Due to the previously highlighted flood risk constraints, the developable area for the site has been reduced to 1.05 hectares.

“The reduction is borne from the desire to ensure there is no flood risk to either the proposed development or the neighbouring properties.”

In March last a holding direction was issued by the Welsh Government after they had been asked to “call-in” the application and take it out of the hands of Powys planners.

This means that Powys planners could continue to process the application and decide to refuse it.

Powys council principal planning officer Lorraine Jenkin said: “The site is allocated for housing under the LDP (Local Development Plan), and a previous outline consent being granted.

“Although the wider field has a history of flooding and local people are clearly concerned by this, the residential units themselves are not in a flood zone.

“The recommendation is one of conditional consent.”

Ms Jenkin also asks councillors to delegate power to the lead professional planning officer to tweak planning permission conditions once they know whether the Welsh Government planning inspectors decide to call in the application or not.