Issue - meetings

Application for the conversion of a public house to 5 flats together with rear extension and parking area

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Linda Ann Wyn Jones

Link to relevant background documents

To defer the decision in order to receive more information about drainage matters

Attention was drawn to the late observations form that had been received - in response to observations from the Local Member, consultation had taken place with the Council's Flood Risk Management Unit, and a swift response had been received. It was noted that the Department had no knowledge of the situation, although it was intended to investigate the complaint. No timetable had yet been set for this work.

a)    The Planning Manager elaborated on the background of the application, and noted that the application had been submitted to the Planning Committee on 02.03.2020 when it had been decided to arrange a site visit for members. In the meantime, it was reported that the applicant had informed the Council that he had submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate due to a lack of decision by the Council on the application (no date yet received).

Members were reminded that this was an application to convert a public house into five residential, self-contained flats, along with the creation of parking spaces and an entrance.  It was noted that the site was located within the development boundary of Blaenau Ffestiniog and that the use of the building as a public house had ceased since early 2017. The proposal would involve internal changes to create the flats on the three floors. The exterior changes were restricted to the side extension and the slight alteration of the layout of the ground floor window and door openings on the rear elevation.

Additional photographs and a video were shown as it had not been possible to undertake a site visit due to Covid-19 restrictions.

Policy TAI9 permits the sub-division of existing properties into self-contained flats provided they conform to the relevant criteria: it was not considered that the proposal to convert the building into five flats would be contrary to the policy aims of TAI 9.

Reference was made to Policy TAI15 that stated that every development was required to achieve an appropriate mix in terms of tenure, types and sizes of affordable housing, which is supported by Policy TAI 8 and the SPG: Housing Mix. It should be noted that the Strategic Housing Unit stated that there was a recognised need for one and two bedroom flats in the town. It was considered that the amended application provided an appropriate mix of accommodation in an existing building that met a recognised need for housing in the town.

Policy TAI 15 (Threshold of Affordable Housing and their Distribution) stated an expectation that at least 0.4 of the units should be affordable, in accordance with the information submitted. Information had been received from the applicant stating that he had investigated purchase/rental prices within a one-mile radius of the site as part of the development. Although the officers did not disagree with the prices, the valuation was not based on the Red Book, and there were other minor deficiencies in the information submitted. In the circumstances, it was considered that the application could be approved subject to imposing a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6