VILLAGES right across Denbighshire could be inundated with new houses - and residents have no idea.
That is the claim of one man concerned about the future of the county under plans for thousands of new homes to be built across Denbighshire.
A Local Development Plan (LDP) for the next 10 years is currently under consideration by the Welsh Government.
Shaun Darlington from Gellifor, fears that changes to the LDP could spell disaster for rural villages and is hoping to raise awareness of the scheme.
“My main aim is to save the villages,” he said.
“In one village they’re planning to increase the planned number of houses from eight to 27 on the same bit of land.
“OK we’ve got to plan for houses but it’s got to be done in the right way to protect the area of Denbighshire because our selling point is that it’s a lovely place to live and work.”
A draft of the LDP was drawn up by Denbighshire County Council and given to the Government’s planning inspector last year but in January he told the council it had not included provision for enough houses in its plans and that 8,400 were needed.
The council responded saying they felt the 7,500 houses they had planned for would meet the county’s needs and did not want to provide any additional sites.
But officers at Denbighshire County Council did say they could reach the 8,400 target by increasing the number of houses built on each site.
The revised LDP shows 28 locations across Denbighshire could have more houses built on them than first planned, many with an increase of more than 100 per cent.
For example in the original LDP the council had laid out plans for 20 houses to be built at land to the rear of Rhyd y Byll, Rhewl, near Ruthin.
But under the new plans 54 houses would be built - an increase of 170 per cent.
And in Nant y Celyn, Clocaenog there could be a massive 238 per cent increase from the original plans - from eight to 27.
“With this increase people will object who didn’t before but they don’t even know about it,” said Shaun, who has begun posting leaflets to raise awareness of the LDP.
“It’s a big difference to the community and no one will have the chance to object.
“To me it’s going to have a huge impact on villages.”
A consultation on the amendments to the LDP ran between February and April but only those who had responded to the initial plans were invited to have their say.
The council is now awaiting the inspector’s confidential draft report which will be made available to the council on July 6.
Denbighshire County Council will then have two weeks to carry out a fact check which the inspectors will then respond to before finalising their report.