Substantial demolition of the existing Electric Mountain Visitor Centre
(bar the existing electrcity sub-station), change of use of the site to form a
car park, replacement lighting, provision of electric vehicle charging points
and associated landscaping.
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Kim Jones
Link
to relevant background documents
Additional documents:
Decision:
DECISION: To defer until September
2022 to enable a further opportunity to discuss alternative uses for the
building
Minutes:
Substantial
demolition of the existing Electric Mountain Visitor Centre (bar the existing
electricity sub-station), change of use of the site to form a car park,
replacement lighting, provision of electric vehicle charging points and
associated landscaping.
Attention
was drawn to the late observations form noting that the Community Council
confirmed that there had been lengthy consultation prior to the application's
submission and the Community Council had no objection to the demolition of the
building as the company do not offer another option, however, there was some
discontent amongst members that a car park would then be created together with
a small site for events
a)
The Development Control Officer highlighted that this was a full
application to demolish the structure of the Electric Mountain Visitor Centre
(separate to the electricity sub-station) to provide a new car park, install lighting,
charging points for vehicles and associated landscaping on a site that is
located between the village and Llyn Padarn. The application was split into
several different elements, which included:-
·
Demolish 2,932m2 of the floor surface area of the existing
building, apart from 22m2 of the surface area of the electricity sub-station.
·
Provide a car park for the public that would add 110 additional
parking spaces to the existing adjacent car park, including 5 disabled spaces.
·
Provision of 12 rapid AC Charging points for vehicles together
with one rapid DC charging point for vehicles.
·
Access to the extended car park by using the existing access from
the adjacent class I county road (A4086).
·
Install nine 6m high columns to light the car park, of a design
that would reduce any light pollution on the land surrounding the application
site.
·
Soft landscaping scheme to include planting trees, shrubs and
meadow wildflowers.
It was
suggested that the main consideration of this application, was whether the proposal
would lead to the loss of a community resource.
It was noted that Policy ISA 2 of the LDP states that the Council would
resist the loss or change of use of an existing community facility by complying
with a least one of the policy's criteria, in the case of a commercially
operated facility (as in this case). There is evidence:
·
That the current use has
ceased to be financially viable - the
applicant had stated that the visitor centre is under-used and is too large for
the the facilities accommodated inside and the condition of the construction
already creates an eyesore within the local area.
·
It could not reasonably be
expected to become financially viable - based on
the information submitted by the applicant regarding the viability of the
visitor centre, it cannot be reasonably expected that the use(s) made
previously of the building would become financially viable in the near future
or the long-term and it would not make economic sense to continue to use the
building as a community resource and visitor centre.
· That no other suitable community use could be established - given the fact that the structure, in its curent condition,is unsustainable, as ... view the full minutes text for item 15