A COUNCIL-OWNED Risca car park could be sold to a developer for just £1 to allow for the creation of a multi million pound social housing complex.

Caerphilly council is considering the proposal to sell Mill Street Car Park and land around it to Seren for the token sum.

At a public meeting in Risca on Monday night residents heard of the draft proposal to transform the land to create 30 homes which will support and house vulnerable people.

The meeting was called by Risca councillors Dave Rees and Nigel George and Risca Town Council clerk Bob Campbell to allow any members of the public to air concerns.

The meeting revealed that without the gift of the land Seren would not be able to go ahead with the proposal.

Many of those at the meeting grilled the councillors on how the loss of the car park could affect traffic, local services and noise pollution levels.

“There are pluses and minuses to the development and all I can do is give you the pluses and let you decide on the minuses,” Cllr Dave Rees said.

“The reason we’re having this meeting is because is it in the planning stage and we have to establish our terms and conditions that we can put to (CCBC) when this goes to planning.”

Although many residents welcomed the housing development, they added that the council-owned car park was well used and that other viable sites in Risca could be explored.

Builder Don Church, 70, of Maryland Road, Risca, believes viable sites include the Suflex site Pontymister, which was previously discussed in CCBC’s Risca and Pontymister Town Centre Action Plan.

After the meeting, Cllr Dave Rees added: “The message today is very positive as residents asked for alternatives and welcomed investment in our town.

“However this investment can’t be at the expense of putting someone at detriment, i.e, the traffic situation at Mill Street Car Park and the elderly people who attend the church.

“Even if they find an alternative (site) the project needs to go on without taking car parking away [...] we will be strongly making that case at a cabinet meeting in future.”

A Caerphilly CBC council spokesperson said, “This is a very initial proposal which we are currently consulting local members on.

“All comments and feedback received will be considered as part of the decision making process”.

The proposal for the land behind the car park was set to be discussed by Caerphilly CBC cabinet this month but delayed by council officers to allow for councillors to inform residents.

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