Environment body Natural Resources Wales (NRW) will be asked to provide more comment on conditions to be placed on controversial plans to build homes in Caersws on land at risk of flooding.
Earlier this week it was revealed that the application to build 29 homes at Pen-y-Borfa on the village outskirts could receive the go ahead.
This is because Welsh Government planners have said they will not be taking over the decision making process and have handed it back to Powys County Council.
But it is now understood that developers Alwyn and Geraint Jarman have another hurdle to overcome before they get the formal thumbs up.
This rises from the second part of the approval of the application which was backed by a majority of councillors at a Planning committee meeting in February.
The second part of the approval said that NRW should be “advised” again on the scheme.
This is so that NRW can check that the conditions placed on the planning permission are adequate in respect of the Flood Consequence Assessment.
Objectors have battled against the proposal for several years and the Caersws Residents Group have now contacted NRW and provided them with evidence, including photographs and video footage of the site flooding.
They point out that the the flood lines on the site, drawn up by NRW themselves, come right up to the back of the proposed houses.
They also say that councillors at the meeting Planning committee meeting believed that this leaves “no margin of error” for future residents being affected by flooding on the site.
A residents group spokesman said: “A much larger assessment of the problem is required using hydrology modelling.
“Approximately 30 residents continually get flooded and have major concerns that climate change will only exacerbate the flooding on the site and elsewhere.
“We deserve an engineering solution to the Manthrig Brook, which is also causing major insurance issues.”
NRW had objected to the proposal unless all flood risk was mitigated at the site – they had also wanted to see the scheme referred to Welsh Government ministers for a decision.
NRW has confirmed they would be “re-consulted” on the plans.
A spokesman for Powys council said that a “full consultation” on the application is not needed.
The spokesman said: “Subject to no objections being received the decision will be issued in accordance with the recommendation from the committee.”
The site has been allocated for housing in the Local Development Plan and an outline planning application for 43 houses and sheltered accommodation at the site had been approved in 2020.
In 2023 an application to amend the approval by deleting the sheltered housing part of the proposal was refused.
At the time Powys planners advised that a new planning application would be needed to change the size of the development, and this was the application agreed by councillors in February.
