Anwyl to appeal refusal of affordable homes scheme in Rhyl

The application for 59 affordable homes on 4.62 acres of land at Maes Farrelly, Rhyl, adjacent to Parc Aberkinsey, where more than 500 homes have been built, included a mix of family houses, bungalows and apartments, as well as a fully adapted home to meet a specific need identified by the council.

The homes would be delivered in partnership with a registered social landlord and allocated by the housing association in line with local authority policy.

Anwyl Partner Projects plans to lodge an appeal following Denbighshire County Council's decision to turn down the scheme, which had been recommended for approval by planning officers.

Denbighshire's planning committee voted 12-6 against granting consent on September 2.

Mark Calvert, managing director of Anwyl Cheshire and North Wales, said: "We’re disappointed by the committee's decision, particularly as the application was recommended for approval by the council's planning officers and would have delivered 59 much-needed affordable homes for local people.

"This was a carefully considered proposal, developed in partnership with a registered social landlord, specifically to help address the significant shortage of affordable housing across Denbighshire.

"We hope the appeal process will allow the merits of the scheme to be fully considered.

"We remain confident that the proposal represents a sustainable and responsible development, which would provide high-quality homes for people who are currently struggling to access suitable housing in the area.

"The proposed scheme would deliver benefits beyond housing provision alone, including investment in public open space and environmental mitigation, while ensuring all homes are built to modern energy-efficient standards that help reduce household bills."

Anwyl Partner Projects said the proposed development was designed to address the "well-documented local housing need". A report to the planning committee indicated that 916 people on the social housing waiting list (The SARTH) specified Rhyl as their first choice.

Anwyl Partner Projects is Anwyl’s affordable housing delivery model, which works alongside registered social landlord partners to bring forward sites exclusively for affordable homes.

The proposed development would see Anwyl invest in the community, including £70,000 for ecological mitigation land management, more than £13,000 for public open space, plus a highways contribution for a new flag post bus stop.

All homes would be equipped with air source heat pumps, solar panels and electric vehicle charging points, helping residents reduce both energy consumption and running costs.

A total of 30 objections were lodged by members of the public against the scheme, including Clwyd MS Darren Millar, and residents of Ffordd Elsie and nearby streets Rhodfa Logan, Maes Farrelly and Ffordd Aberkinsey.

Objections included that the development will cause an “enormous loss of green area” and the “unjustified loss of agricultural land”, as well as a potential increase in antisocial behaviour, noise and traffic.

Concerns were also raised that it could place “huge burdens” on public services, such as schools, doctors and dentists.

Anwyl started work at Parc Aberkinsey towards the end of 2010 and welcomed the first residents in spring 2011. The final phase of the development concluded in August 2025, marking the end of almost 15 years of Anwyl building in the town.