No decision has been made on a controversial housing development in Abergele.

Members of Conwy’s planning committee discussed plans for a 73-home estate just off the Llanfair Road in Abergele on Wednesday.

Before a packed public gallery, as emotions ran high with some in attendance heckling councillors and officers, it was agreed to defer making a decision.

Fears over traffic congestion in the town centre led to local member Cllr Pauline Heap-Williams asking for the deferral until members could see the Atkins Report, which is being carried out into traffic problems in the town.

The plans submitted by Anwyl Homes would see the building of 73 homes on a rectangular-shaped piece of land just to the south of Abergele.

These would be made up of 32 four-bed detached, 19 three-bed detached, 12 three-bed semi-detached, eight two-bed semi-detached, and three two-bed terraced houses, with seven of the homes being affordable.

Abergele Town Council had written to planners objecting to the scheme because of the strength of public feeling against the proposal.

As well as fears over traffic congestion, concerns raised  included over-development in the area, with another large scheme in nearby Bodelwyddan and fears that local primary schools are already over capacity.

Speaking against the plans, local ward member Cllr Mark Baker said: “The infrastructure is currently at capacity.

“There are real challenges faced by local schools, medical centre, transport routes, water and sewerage networks which will be exasperated by another 73 houses.

“Until these issues are remedied, there should be no further housing approved.”

His fellow ward member also spoke against the proposal, saying that the already busy Abergele traffic system could not cope with more developments.

Speaking in favour of the plans, Hayley Knight, an agent for the applicant, said: “New homes mean more people to support existing local businesses in Abergele and encourage hopefully the start-up of new ones enhancing the town centre.”

But members of the committee agreed that they would need more detail on what would be done to ease traffic in the town before they could make a decision, and said they would need to see the Atkins report.

Cllr Dave Cowans said: “This will strangle Abergele. Shops will close. We need to think of the broader issues.

“Until we have a requirement for a bypass, then we cannot make decisions on sites like this. Otherwise it will just become a dormitory town.”

Initial releases of parts of the Atkins Report by independent consultants said that traffic lights in the town could not cope with any additional traffic in the town.

And Cllr Nigel Smith agreed with Cllr Heap-Williams that the full report should be seen by members before a decision could be made.

He said: “I can’t believe  that we are trying to make decisions with information that is out of date.

“We have officers telling us there is capacity in the traffic lights system and we have a report saying it’s at tipping point.

“This committee has been put in an unfair position.”

Members voted by 12 votes to six in favour of deferring a decision on the application.