No decision was taken on a housing association application for houses and flats for people with a learning disability near Aberystwyth following concerns about a bid for village green status as well as sewerage and power capacity.

Wales and West Housing Association’s hybrid application includes outline planning for a phased residential development on land adjacent to Hafan y Waun, Waunfawr and a full application for the development and associated works including public open space and a new road.

It has the potential to see 77 homes built on the land but local member Cllr John Roberts questioned the housing need, highlighting existing permissions in the area including a development of more than 200 houses.

The plans went before the committee despite a village green status bid from a group of residents Friends of Erw Goch Field which is still running.

A number of residents contacted Ceredigion County Council and the chair of the development control committee to express their “disappointment” that a decision is being made before the village green issue is decided.

“Making a decision on this planning application while the village green status application is still being considered will be further proof that Ceredigion County Council have already decided on the fate of this land,” the campaign group had warned.

Cllr Roberts also raised a number of objections to the proposals including the loss of a large green space, a village green bid, capacity of the sewerage system – pointing to incidents in April where drains were “bubbling over” nearby – and electricity capacity.

The committee was reminded that the village green application was not a material planning consideration and would be dealt with by a separate process but the majority voted in favour of deferring the housing plan until a decision was made about the green space.

It had been used as a recreational area for many years, a number of councillors said, with Cllr Ceredig Davies adding it was not just the nearby committee that used it but the “wider community of Aberystwyth”.

Cllr Paul Hinge reiterated concerns about the electrical grid capacity, adding Aberystwyth University had been told “that the system can’t cope, it’s in the red”.

A report to Ceredigion County Council’s development control committee on Wednesday, 28 July, stated that the full part of the application is for 28 affordable houses and 12 flats within a specialist learning difficulties unit, while a further 37 are included in the outline application.

It includes a mix of bungalows, flats and semi-detached homes, some two storey, with a new ‘spine road’ to be built between the main road through Waunfawr to Cefn Esgair.

There was support for the application at committee but the majority voted in favour of deferring the decision as “a matter of fairness. Fairness goes above and beyond the LDP.”