Just wondered what are people's views on the proposed plans for the fernhill site in Blaenrhondda? The land has been bought for resiential use and could fit up to 750 houses plus leisure facilities. The site was supposed to be for leisure and tourism under the Council's Local Development Plan but they are now planning to change this to housing as well in the new LDP! Has anyone got any views if they are for or against it, or what would you like to see there?

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I,m all for develoment as long as it,s done properly, before they spend millions up Fernhill perhaps they should start by investing in proper roads tidying up Brook Street and proper access to the site because i dont think that the Rhigos or Blaenrhondda are adequate, and the other thing is, where on earth can young couples (First time buyers) find adequate full time jobs to pay for these house,s!!!! which i,m sure wont be cheap, or is it going to be "Dinas Flats" type housing like their planning for the old Blaenrhondda school site!!!

Your Location: blaenrhondda

If it brings fair priced housing and adequate jobs for LOCALS then it should be welcomed. Traveling to Cardiff every day is bane of most valleys people who have to travel out of the valleys to get suitable jobs. If this helps reduce traffic and pollution then it will be welcomed

Your Location: Tynewydd

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Get real Phil. We are not talking employment here we are talking houses, that for the past three years have been promoted as being ideal for people who work in Cardiff or Swansea, so dose that sound as though they are going to be low cost houses for LOCAL? The Fernhill land is owned by a Brummie company that has many subsidiary companies that cover every aspect of the construction industry. If they have refused for their own Welsh company Cofton (Wales) Ltd, (who are building the new Valleywood Studios), to get involved with the Fernhill Development, what chance has any local business’ got of getting a contract to build the houses? As for less traffic, how do you work that one out? At present there are proposals for 700 houses on the Fernhill Land, 8 houses and a block of flats on the land of ‘The Old Blaenrhondda School’, more houses to be built on the land of ‘The Old Kick’ in Brook street and that is just Blaenrhondda. There are many more houses to be built at Blaencwm, and Treherbert on the land at the bottom of the Rhigos, so by my reckoning if most of these new house have a minimum of one car each, that means another 800 + cars at least having to travel down the valley everyday and using the already overstretched infrastructure.

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

I agree with Kath, and I don't think there's any need for such a vast quantity of houses right at the top of the valley. Also, Fernhill landscape is stunning if this goes ahead the area will be well and truly spoilt. I like Blaenrhondda because it's quiet and is literally the top of the valley, that's partly why I moved there I don't want another 'village' tagged on further up, it will totally alter the character of the area.
A number of local residents including myself have recently set up a group to oppose the plans, please get in touch if you wish to support us and/or can help in any way.

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

What's wrong with having another village. Are you worried that the wrong kind of people might move in? The new village could be called Caroline Street or HEY! Fernhill!

Do we need another village?? There are so many houses in Blaenrhondda that have been up for sale for months - some have a been a over a year!!! The problem people need to look at is the traffic, the schools, the doctors, the sewerage, etc. If the proposed 700 houses goes ahead what effect will this have on everything! Where they are situated most families will have a car, if not 2 or 3 if they have children old enough to drive! How are they going to access the site? Blaenrhondda can't take the extra traffic, people say the Rhigos - what happens when this closes due to bad weather, or another land slip?

Just a few things for everyone to think about

Having been born and bread in Fernhill houses and worked in the colliery, you will "NEVER" ever get the type of people in this new developement as you had in Fernhill Houses, Caroline Street and Office Row, these were people who worked bloody hard with basic amenities, poor wages,no central heating, hot water etc. but were a community who stuck together through thick and thin whatever challenge was thrown at them.
If a new developement does go ahead, it would be a nice idea to name them Fernhill and Caroline but it would never have the same type of people,(I hope i,m proved wrong.)

Your Location: blaenrhondda

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As I said before I think it would ruin a valuable landscape, and alter the dynamics of Blaenrhondda as it is now. This would occur no matter what type of housing was put there.The point is that land could be such an asset if developed properly for leisure and tourism purposes. We are lacking a reason to attract visitors to the top of the valley, Fernhill could be the answer.

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

Blaenrhondda and the escarpment above it look great. The valley that held Fernhill colliery doesn't. It's a wasteland of slag, coke and detritus. The area could be spectacular with careful landscaping and planting. I'm not sure what the legal position is regarding building domiciles on an ex pit but I'm sure someone will get around it. If I had my way I'd preserve the two villages of Blaencwm and Blaenrhondda and build in accordance with the style - modern conveniences of course.

There's a sobering thought. The pit could be re opened. That is not as far fetched as it seems in this day and age.

Do you care about the valleys green spaces or the volume of traffic on our roads, the length of time we have to wait for services such as doctors, hospitals and school places, tourism opportunities?
If so you need to know that Cofton's the company proposing to build housing on the old Fernhill colliery site, Blaenrhondda are holding a public exhibition detailing their plans on

Friday 13th June 2008: 10am-7pm
Saturday 14th June 2008: 10am-2pm

at Fernhill & Blaenrhondda Social Club
Nr Chapel Street,
Blaenrhondda, Treorchy

It is advertised in the Rhondda Leader on page 15. Please can you let everyone know who you may think it effects!!

The way Jonas Bark is going on favourably about the development I am beginning to wonder if he has shares in the company

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

Just a reminder about Sunday 8th June - Celebrate Fernhill, bring your photos, share your memories about Fernhill and Blaenrhondda. Activities through out the day, guest speakers, slideshow, free refreshments

Everyone welcome

Hopefully see you there

I don't have shares in any company but I do feel passionately about the environment we live in. The upper Rhondda seems to be a whipping boy when environmental issues are concerned. The tips are mostly now gone but you can still see where they were. Conifer trees now abound where deciduous trees once stood. Wind farms have been earmarked for the valley - monstrous 400ft edifices that wouldn't be tolerated by the people who construct them if they were put up in their back yard. If you want to dump toxic waste where better than Nantygwyddon tip.

Despite all this the valley still looks beautiful in a scarred rough way. It endures just like the people who live in it.

Jonas you say the Rhondda are whipping boys where environmental issues are concerned but later in your post you criticise the proposal of wind power which is a lot less polluting than other power sources surely

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

You have a point there. My personal preference would be solar power. Here? Rain power more like. Wind power needs those bloody awful towers and there's very little return for the eyesores.

Just to let you know the Celebrate Fernhill event yesterday went great, was really shocked at the amount of people who turned up - Thank you for coming!! Hope you enjoyed and realised the beautiful surrounding that we live in and also the amount of history that surrounds us!! What a shame it would be to lose it!

Went to the Cofton public exhibition yesturday and i must say that i am excited but cautious of the developemet.
800 houses too many, half of that would be fine i think!! The developement is for future generations for years and years to come, and at this moment i give it my full support.
From tommorow there is a web site all about this developement feel free to visit this site on www.fernhilldevelopment.co.uk and give us your feedback.

Your Location: blaenrhondda

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I also went to the exhibition - my worst fears realised: a proposal for 800 houses, stretching up as far as the waterfall at the very top, some of them are proposed for an area that is currently green land not the brownfield site. Flooding the beautiful valley at the top to create a lake - why? it's lovely there now. Opening the culverts I'm all for plus cycle tracks etc but not the housing. Most people I spoke to at the exhibition are against this. Our group will be starting a petition against the housing proposals this week. We are hoping to cover every street in the Treherbert ward, or better still the top of the valley, if you feel you can help with this please get in touch ASAP (you can leave a message via this forum). Many Thanks. Sheryl.

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

I went to the “exhibition” on Friday, and I found it rather sparse on information, as there was one (very helpful) photo of Fernhill with pointers telling us where the forestry and the Rhigos road are, and one map that was boxed out showing where the houses were meant to be going. Despite there being many men in suits walking around, trying to appearing important, they were still unable to answer many of the locals questions. One thing that is baffling me is how come when the development was first talked about, it was going to be 700 houses on 200 acres, yet now that they are only able to build on 60 acres, the number of houses has risen to 800.

Well i,m sorry Sheryl,but to start a petition at this early stage of the development is asking for trouble, what if over 100 hundred years ago when there was only farms and fields, if there was the same petition going around then,there would be no houses now!! no collieries, no emloyment and no future for the next generations (US)!!! So come on now what would you really like to see, millions of pounds of development (ok i agree not so many houses)or a black landscape and sheep chewing grass, i,m sure that will bring in the tourist,s!!!! or a future for your grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Your Location: blaenrhondda

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I fully support Sheryl, as you need to act soon on matters like this, otherwise the planning application will be in and it will be too late to oppose the 800 houses. Savillis explained that the first houses available (at the top of coldra road) would be available by 2010, which may seem a while but Cofton has to put the application in first, then all the infrastructure and sell the land on to the likes of Redrow, Barrats.

As of future generations if even 400 houses were to be built what effect will this have on the roads (not just our area, down the valley such as the stag square?)the doctors, the schools, as Cofton has said that Penpych school can accomodate the children from the development.

The wildlife in the area is more than just sheep, what effect will it have on that?? The birds that are returning to the area?? (Younger generations will only be able to see these in books or on the internet, rather than seeing them in the area they grew up in)

The area at the top where the waterfall is, will be flooded and made into a lake - it is stunning the way it is at the moment. It is suprising the amount of people who actually use the site for leisure activities and under the current Local Development Plan is it maked for leisure and tourism. The area could be made into a brilliant country park just like Bryn Bach Park http://www.blaenau-gwent.gov.uk/5807.asp

You can develop the area without houses!!! There are many houses for sale in Blaenrhondda at the moment that can't be sold.

People think that the ones who would live on the site would use local businesses to do their shopping, pay their bills etc, but with the traffic getting worse down the valley, it would be easier for them to pop over to aberdare and use the facilities over there (thats if the Rhigos isn't closed due to snow, landslide, frost, etc. then how will they get about, through Blaenrhondda or Coldra????)

The area is only now going back to its natural beauty from the coal mines. Every piece of green land is slowly being sold off bit by bit, I thought the future is to look after the environment so future generations can enjoy it and not turn it into concrete city.

What is the saying the children use on the recylcing adverts? "its our future you know, please don't throw it away"

Hi Brian I beg to differ Lesley's said it all in her post and she's right, the sooner we voice our objections the better. Obviously not everyone will agree with us and I respect that, but those who do need to voice their support now.

Your Location: Blaenrhondda

Its about time developers and our council realise there is a limit to the amount of housing development our narrow little valley can take. Its about time to get real, we are a valley not a tardis. Houses create rubbish and that means landfill. If we have to ship our rubbish on to other authority, that means our rates increase significantly, if we have more houses then put them on sites like Phenrys and the ranch in Treherbert, all the services are there. I see no point in starting another development on the old Fernhill colliery site with absolutely no infrastructure what so ever.

http://www.fernhillnews.co.uk

A one-stop website to find out the latest in relation to Fernhill at the head of the Rhondda Valleys. Whether you object or approve of the plans we’ll have all the latest independent news. To submit your news email: fernhillnews@hotmail.co.uk

Girls sorry i ain,t replied sooner, the reason being i was waiting for the Cofton web site to be up and running to see what was on offer in more depth.
Anyway let me start by saying nice speech Les.
I would 75% agree with where your coming from the land is lush, the scenery is second to none the location is stunning (don,t forget i was born and bred in Fernhill),
As i stated i think development is necssery for the future of the top of the valley, not for the likes of me but for my grandchildren and their children, because with development "will" come jobs and put Blaenrhondda on the map. What i would like to see is yes a lake for fishing,boating etc. cycle tracks and horse riding,
walk paths for walkers. Being a keen but not very good golfer i,d love to see an affordable golf coarse for your average golfer, and yes i,d like to see houses built, not on the scale of 800+ but i,d like to see another "Fernhill Houses" and another "Caroline Street" which young local people could afford, now that would be nice would,nt it!!
So ladies i,m gonna sit back and see what the finished product will look like and then take it from there, i am on your side "honest" Brian

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Well having read the replies on here, I feel i must now comment.

i attended the evenings where the developers attended to give a brief oversight of their proposed development plans for the upper rhondda. I asked a lot of questions, and had a lot of answers.

I also witnessed some local people attend with what could only be described as a NIMBY Not In My Back Yard) attitute as soon as they entered the hall.

Sheryl, you state the area where the Pit was and the Tips is beutiful. Lets be frank, it is a derilict waste land consisting of Slag heaps that are there as a result of the industrial activities in Fernhill and Blaenrhondda Collieries.

You say the area is lovely as it is. Well have you not just changed your house and build a double deck extension as it needed modernising and bringing up to date?

Yet you do not want others to benefit from new developments. I live in the area and i may wish to stay where i am or may look at a new property on the new development.

If you want the area to remain as it is, a wasteland of slag and industrial waste, then this is one sure way of placing a nail in the lid of the Upper Rhondda Coffin.

A lot of people in the area are afraid of moderniosation and development in the local area, as this may mean that they could be expected to go out and get theirselfs a job and actually work for a living instead of the likes of me having to pay high taxes to keep locals in money on the dole. Many of whome frequent the local pubs and clubs on a daily basis. This is something that i can not afford and i work for a living.

Just look at Glyncwrwg, Ammanford etc all where locals have opposed modernising and development. All are areas of VERY HIGH Unemployement, all are delapodated slumms that could have ben nice areas.

With the energy crisis, i would far rrather see Fernhill be developed with Housing and small buisiness units than see it become another Seler Site as like above Glyn Neath where dirt and dust will be an everyday event due to open cast mining. And do not be nieve and think it wont happen here. Any Old Collier will te you that Fernhill dumped many hundreds of thousands of tons of coal on the tips then continued with the waste.

Open your eyes folks, modernise and bring this valley out of the 1980's and up into the modern area

Your Location: Rhondda

Well having read the replies on here, I feel i must now comment.

i attended the evenings where the developers attended to give a brief oversight of their proposed development plans for the upper rhondda. I asked a lot of questions, and had a lot of answers.

I also witnessed some local people attend with what could only be described as a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) attitute as soon as they entered the hall.

Sheryl, you state the area where the Pit was and the Tips is beutiful. Lets be frank, it is a derilict waste land consisting of Slag heaps that are there as a result of the industrial activities in Fernhill and Blaenrhondda Collieries.

You say the area is lovely as it is. Well have you not just changed your house and build a double deck extension as it needed modernising and bringing up to date?

Yet you do not want others to benefit from new developments. I live in the area and i may wish to stay where i am or may look at a new property on the new development.

If you want the area to remain as it is, a wasteland of slag and industrial waste, then this is one sure way of placing a nail in the lid of the Upper Rhondda Coffin.

A lot of people in the area are afraid of moderniosation and development in the local area, as this may mean that they could be expected to go out and get theirselfs a job and actually work for a living instead of the likes of me having to pay high taxes to keep locals in money on the dole. Many of whome frequent the local pubs and clubs on a daily basis. This is something that i can not afford and i work for a living.

Just look at Glyncwrwg, Ammanford etc all where locals have opposed modernising and development. All are areas of VERY HIGH Unemployement, all are delapodated slumms that could have ben nice areas.

With the energy crisis, i would far rrather see Fernhill be developed with Housing and small buisiness units than see it become another Seler Site as like above Glyn Neath where dirt and dust will be an everyday event due to open cast mining. And do not be nieve and think it wont happen here. Any Old Collier will te you that Fernhill dumped many hundreds of thousands of tons of coal on the tips then continued with the waste.

Open your eyes folks, modernise and bring this valley out of the 1980's and up into the modern era

Your Location: Rhondda

Did you all see in the Rhondda Leader last week where Shiela Davies said the site will be used for residential for 400 houses no mention about small units here. The units are based in Meardy!! She also attented one of the Fernhill Conservation Group meetings and promised that the site would be of mixed use!!! This was not stated in the Rhondda Leader just about the 400 houses!!!

I think by having an extra 400 houses at the top of the valley with no work places would just increase unemployment figures and turn the Rhondda into a commuter land for people travelling for work out of the valley!!

Come on now leslie

You know the Rhondda Leader will only print what it wants to print. Its a local newspaper. It is well known that good news does not sell newspapers.

I would never quote a newspaper and 100% believe what was said. If i did, i would believe (and you would be very worried) over todays Western Mail where it has a large article on South Wales Coal and Methane being extracted from colliery sites.

This would turn the upper rhondda mountainside into a No Access Area due to health and safety as it would again become an industrial site.

If the upper rhondda does not attract new people and new jobs, then the area will be derelict and dissapear within the next 30 years.

Your Location: Rhondda

It also says that the site will be used for residential in the draft version of the Local Development plan. Have a look on the council website for the full version (it is quite a big document) but well worth reading to see what exactly is plaaned for the area, and from it you will realise that the top half of the rhondda is just for housing.

Come on Leslie

You know that if there were plans to put a large factory up the area, the locals would complain.

No developer can win up here, we are frightening them all away and placing the nails firmly into Blaenrhondda.

Not too worry, if house prices in this area keep falling, then Blaenrhondda will look like a really delapodated Penrhys estate from years ago only 10 times worse, as the only ones able to or wanting to live in the area are those who do not wish to get a job

Your Location: Rhondda

It was good enough for the cowboys and the local people were glad working there for the money, it would be like a mark of respect to put back houses there again, there was once streets and communities and once many feet walked the soil. I tried to put something up there in respect for the miners and had no luck so prehaps this project would not only put Blaenrhondda better on the map they might even build a shop there because you need one.

Your Location: cwmparc