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Agenda item

Erection of 7 dwellings for the elderly together with parking accommodation and turning facility.

 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Rheinallt Puw

 

Link to relevant background documents

Decision:

DECISION: To delegate powers to the Assistant Head of the Environment Department to approve the application, subject to the following conditions:

 

1.            Five years.

2.            In accordance with the plans.

3.            Natural slate roofing.

4.            Agree the houses' external elevations including the solar panels.

5.            Remove permitted development rights from the residential dwellings.

6.            Highway conditions concerning the provision of parking spaces, estate road and associated footpaths.

7.            Submission of a programme of archaeology works to be agreed with the LPA prior to the commencement of any work on the site.

8.            A detailed report on the archaeology work, in accordance with condition 7, will need to be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority within six months of completing the archaeology work.

9.            The Biodiversity Unit's conditions concerning no vegetation, trees or shrubs to be cleared during the nesting season (1 March to 31 August); prior to the commencement of any work a scheme should be submitted for approval by the LPA to ensure that no reptiles will be harmed during the construction work which is to be implemented to the complete satisfaction of the LPA; prior to the commencement of any work a Biodiversity Improvements and Mitigation Plan shall be submitted to and agreed with the LPA; and prior to the commencement of any work on the site a Plan to Destroy Non-native Invasive Plants shall be submitted to be agreed with the LPA.

10.          Condition to comply with the mitigation measures in the Preliminary Ecological Evaluation Report.

11.          Condition to comply with the recommendations and mitigation measures included in the Trees Report.

12.          Public Protection Unit condition regarding conducting a site contamination investigation.

13.          Welsh Government Conditions regarding visibility splays, drainage and resurfacing the pavement near the site. 

14.          Secure/agree with affordable housing scheme

15.          That the units are affordable for older residents aged 55+

 

 

Notes

 

1.    NOTE: The applicant is instructed to sign an Agreement under Section 38, Highways Act, 1980 with the Council if it is proposed for the extension to Llain y Pebyll road to be adopted. 

 

2.    NOTE:  The applicant's attention is drawn to the letter from Welsh Water dated 11.02.20, advising of the need to ensure that the development is in compliance with the advice contained therein.

 

3.    NOTE: The applicant's attention is drawn to the letter from Wales and West Utilities dated 14.02.20 and the need to ensure that the development is in compliance with the advice contained therein. 

 

4.    NOTE: The applicant's attention is drawn to the need to introduce a sustainable water system to be agreed with the Council's Water and Environment Unit.

 

Minutes:

 

Erection of 7 residential dwellings for older persons together with parking spaces and a turning area

a)    The Planning Manager elaborated on the background of the application, and noted that this was a full application, with many elements to the application:-

·         Provision of 5, two-bedroom bungalows together with 2 one-bedroom flats on affordable social rent for older people.   

·         Provision of parking spaces and a new access off the trunk road to serve the bungalows on plot numbers 3 and 4.

·         The other dwellings will be served from the access and the existing driveway that serves Llain y Pebyll Estate.   

·         Provision of private amenity spaces/gardens within the site. 

·         Provision of infrastructure to include bin/recycling storage for each dwelling.

 

It was reported that the site is located outside, but adjacent to, the Bethesda development boundary as included in the Gwynedd and Anglesey Joint Local Development Plan 2017 (LDP). Although developments for affordable units and open market units have been approved recently in Bethesda, the local need for new housing specifically for older people has not been met.   

 

It was explained that the application had been the subject of discussions between North Wales Housing (developer) and the Council's Strategic Housing Unit. As a result, it was resolved to include it on the reserve plan list in the Transfer Programme Plan to receive grant funding, subject to the receipt of planning permission and the appointment of a contractor. Given that the proposal responds to an acknowledged need and provides an appropriate mix of units, it was considered that the proposal was an opportunity to develop a quality plan and meet acknowledged needs and thus, in accordance with the Policy requirements.

 

On the grounds of visual amenities, it was considered that the proposal to develop a small estate of new housing is acceptable and that the layout, scale, design and materials of the houses are acceptable, considering its surroundings. No concerns were considered in the context of general and residential amenities, biodiversity or archaeological matters.

 

It was reiterated that the proposal included extending the existing adopted estate road leading into Llain y Pebyll Estate in order to serve the proposed bungalows on plots numbers 5, 6 and 7 only with associated parking spaces. It was noted that the bungalow and two-storey houses on plots 1, 2, 3 and 4 are served directly off the nearby trunk road. The Transportation Unit or Trunk Road Unit did not have any objection to the application on the grounds of creating an access from the existing Llain y Pebyll estate road or from the nearby trunk road.

 

Following the receipt of the initial observations of the Language Unit, a Welsh Language Statement was submitted with the application and based on the content of the Statement, the Unit agreed with the content of the document which confirms that the development will have a positive impact on the Welsh language in Bethesda.

 

Based on the above assessment, it was not considered that the proposal was contrary to local or national policies and there was no material planning matter that outweighed the policy considerations.  To this end, it was considered that the proposal was acceptable, subject to the inclusion of appropriate conditions.

 

b)    It was proposed and seconded to approve the application.

 

c)    During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made by members:

·           Welcomed a development for older people - similar developments across the County would be welcomed

·           That the development kept people in their home area and close to their families

·           That the proposal fitted in neatly with the adjacent estate

 

ch)     In response to the confirmation that the proposal is affordable, it was noted that the site has been designated as a 'rural exception' site and that only affordable housing would be considered. The houses will be provided via a Social Landlord with conditions restricting affordable use

 

In response to a question about the background to the observations of the Community Council and access concerns from the A5 trunk road, it was highlighted that Welsh Government's Trunk Road Unit submitted observations on the application, and not the Council's Transportation Unit. It was reiterated that the Trunk Road Unit had given assurances to the Community Council that they were satisfied that the development is acceptable and that there would be no unacceptable impacts on the trunk road.

 

In response to observations that the access from the A5 trunk road was dangerous and the suggestion of having one access to the development via the Llain Pebyll Estate, it was highlighted that there was a substantial difference in levels between the front of the development and the rear of the development and therefore, including both accesses was the best option.

 

In response to an observation that the plans highlighted that the road through the estate was likely to be extended and therefore made one suspect a further development, adjacent to the future, it was noted that lines highlighting drains were on the plans and not a road. It was noted that the drains ran through the estate of suitable width to ensure protection.

 

RESOLVED: To delegate powers to the Assistant Head of the Environment Department to approve the application, subject to the following conditions:

 

1.         Five years.

2.         In accordance with the plans.

3.         Natural slate roofing.

4.         Agree the houses' external elevations including the solar panels.

5.         Remove permitted development rights from the residential dwellings.

6.         Highway conditions concerning the provision of parking spaces, estate road and associated footpaths.

7.         Submission of a programme of archaeology works to be agreed with the LPA prior to the commencement of any work on the site. 

8.         A detailed report on the archaeology, in accordance with condition 7, will need to be submitted to and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority within six months of completing the archaeology work. 

9.         The Biodiversity Unit's conditions concerning no vegetation, trees or shrubs to be cleared during the nesting season (1 March to 31 August); prior to the commencement of any work a scheme should be submitted for approval by the LPA to ensure that no reptiles will be harmed during the construction work which is to be implemented to the complete satisfaction of the LPA; prior to the commencement of any work a Biodiversity Improvements and Mitigation Plan shall be submitted to and agreed with the LPA; and prior to the commencement of any work on the site a Plan to Destroy Non-native Invasive Plants shall be submitted to be agreed with the LPA.

10.       Condition to comply with the mitigation measures in the Preliminary Ecological Evaluation Report. 

11.       Condition to comply with the recommendations and mitigation measures included in the Trees Report. 

12.       Public Protection Unit condition regarding conducting a site contamination investigation.

13.       Welsh Government Conditions regarding visibility splays, drainage and resurfacing the pavement near the site. 

14.       Secure/agree with affordable housing scheme

15.       That the units are affordable for older residents aged 55+

 

Notes

 

1.         NOTE: The applicant is instructed to sign an Agreement under Section 38, Highways Act, 1980 with the Council if it is proposed for the extension to Llain y Pebyll road to be adopted. 

 

2.         NOTE:  The applicant's attention is drawn to the letter from Welsh Water dated 11.02.20, advising of the need to ensure that the development is in compliance with the advice contained therein.

 

3.         NOTE: The applicant's attention is drawn to the letter from Wales and West Utilities dated 14.02.20 and the need to ensure that the development is in compliance with the advice contained therein. 

 

4.         NOTE: The applicant's attention is drawn to the need to introduce a sustainable water system to be agreed with the Council's Water and Environment Unit.

 

 

 

Supporting documents: