A HOUSING developer has hit back after a long-serving councillor dubbed a draft planning proposal as the worst he had ever seen.

Muller Property Group has taken the unusual step of consulting residents about a housing scheme in advance of making formal planning proposal to Flintshire Council.

It prompted Drury householders to organise a public meeting to discuss a draft plan to build 66 homes on a site to the north of Drury Lane.

The meeting heard opinions from councillors, including Flintshire Council planning committee member Mike Peers.

Cllr Peers, who reminded residents that his views were strictly preliminary at this stage, said: "I have to say that during all the years I have been on the planning committee this is the worst layout of a planning application I have ever seen.

"Basically it is a car park with houses on it.

"The way this is laid out in the indicative plan, there are no front gardens. It is an awful scheme."

However, in a statement Colin Muller from Muller Property Group said: "It is interesting that Cllr Peers, who sits on the council’s planning committee, is stating there is an overdevelopment of the site.

"In designing the scheme at Drury we have adhered to the council’s own planning policy which determines a minimum number of houses per hectare for any land given up for housing.

"The car park comment is not helpful. In times gone by, houses were built with no provision for parking.

"Times have now changed and it is not unusual for the occupants of each dwelling to have two cars, sometimes three.

"We have followed Flintshire Council’s guidelines with respect to car parking on the development as the council, quite rightly, is looking for new housing to include off-street parking provision."

Mr Muller added: "We should be mindful of the Welsh Government’s commitment to increasing the supply of new homes by building 20,000 affordable new homes.

"Thirty per cent of our development will constitute affordable housing.

"At present Flintshire Council is unable to demonstrate a five year housing land supply as required by the Welsh Government.

"Our proposed development is part of the solution, being sustainable, viable and deliverable."

Drury Lane resident Lenny Keig, who chaired the meeting, said a previous Muller Property Group scheme to demolish a Drury Lane home to make way for an access road to a potential housing development was thrown out by planning committee members in January last year.

Concerns were raised that the proposed latest scheme would mean knocking down the same home.

Hannah Bayley, who runs the Facebook page 'residents against the demolition of 81 Drury Lane' and lives next door but one from the property, said: "It first came through 18 months ago and that was for demolition of the house.

"That was turned down and there has been nothing since then, but now this.

"It will include the demolition of the house because there is no other way to get to the site.

"This is a village and we want to keep it as a village."

Pamela Parry, 73, whose home adjoins the property concerned, said: "I was very worried the first time around. Our house is 100 years old and we share a chimney.

"It worries me that if they take that house away, what will happen to mine?"

Asked by residents why a company would reapply for a similar scheme after being knocked back by planners, Cllr Carolyn Preece told the meeting: "This is what they generally do. When they potentially have hold of a piece of land they can develop, they do it over and over again.

"You're starting from zero each time, so you have to do your objections and they are thinking they can wear down residents until they get fed up."

Other worries voiced included the impact the development could have on traffic, schools and doctors.

Cllr Preece encouraged people to visit the 'residents against the demolition of 81 Drury Lane' Facebook page to find out how to have their say.