A controversial housing estate in a town plagued with traffic congestion is set to go back to planners next week.

Last month, councillors refused to make a decision before they had more information about a council report into the traffic problems in Abergele.

Members of Conwy’s planning committee voted to defer making a decision when they  discussed plans for a 73-home estate just off the Llanfair Road in Abergele.

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.

Last month’s meeting heard that the main concern of councillors was that traffic jams in the town would be made worse by adding to the population.

Councillors heard that the Atkins report into traffic in the town had highlighted areas of concern with how the town centre traffic system would cope.

A report before councillors on the committee said: “The testing carried out for this report would thus suggest that the signals are now operating at what could perhaps be best described as a tipping point and that they have limited ability to cater for increased traffic demands.

“There are proposals to bring forward housing and employment developments at Abergele which, based on current travel habits, will thus be expected to increase traffic movements through the signals.

“The testing carried out indicates that the traffic signals would not be expected to cater for such potential future traffic demand and thus that some form of mitigation is required.”

Councillors wanted a delay to any decision being made so they could consider the full extent of the Atkins report.

Members of the committee will consider the application again on Wednesday.

Planning officers have recommended that the application be given permission.

The report added: “Residential trip rates derived by Atkins and concludes that they are unlikely to result in a severe impact on prevailing local network operating conditions nor would they trigger the requirement of specific network capacity improvements.

“The Highways Authority raise no objection to the proposal, subject to highway improvements being carried out.”