A county councillor pleaded with a planning committee to “end this madness” as it contemplated another housing scheme in his ward, which he claimed couldn’t sustain more development.

Councillor Bob Squire (Eirias ward) told the Conwy county council meeting the area around Dolwen Road had been the subject of “years of development despite massive opposition from the people of Old Colwyn”.

Maxi Developments Ltd wanted to build 69 houses on land adjacent to Bryn Rodyn with an application for 56 homes and outline planning for 13.

It would have included 34 affordable dwellings and a commuted sum of £16,000 towards affordable housing.

It was one of a succession of housing developments in Old Colwyn which Cllr Squire had stood against in recent years.

However this time, with the removal of Welsh Government guidance forcing councils to take into account notional housing supply targets, officers also recommended refusal of the proposal.

They said it was outside of the local development plan (LDP) and asked committee members to delegate further detailed reasons for refusal to them, as there had been late “frustrating” late submissions from the developers.

Numerous objections to the plans had been tabled by local residents who cited a lack of infrastructure, concerns about surface water, traffic congestion and over-intensification of the area.

Local Senedd Member for Clwyd West, Darren Millar, also sent in a letter of objection to the proposal.

Cllr Squire spoke against the scheme, saying he “strongly objected to a further 69 houses on Dolwen Road – on virgin, greenfield land”.

He said: “The location is not sustainable in terms of pedestrian proximity to shops, schools and services.

“This further development into the countryside would increase car usage and members are well aware of the increasing traffic problems on Llanelian Road, which is extremely dangerous with on-street parking on both sides and no crossings for hundreds of children attending school.

“The schools in Old Colwyn are already excessively over capacity and the GP practice and the health board readily confirm they are at maximum capacity.

“I would therefore plead with the committee to end this madness and follow the sound advice of strategic planning policy.

“Any further speculative applications on sites contrary to LDP policy, by virtue of being outside settlement boundaries, should not be supported.”

In December last year councillor Squire said the same plans were “born of sheer greed” and said services could not cope with the extra development.

In March this year he said new housing developments were “destroying the quality of life” for his constituents, after four major developments in recent years.

It emerged the latest plans had been scaled down to 69 houses from 73 but they were not supported by Colwyn Bay town council, despite the housing mix being changed late on to include more two-bed dwellings.

Councillors on the committee refused the application by 12 votes to nil, with one abstention, delegating the final list of reasons for refusal to planning officers.