Issue - meetings

Cliff stabilisation works, demolition and reconstruction of a single house 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Gruffydd Williams

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve – conditions

1. Time

2. In accordance with plans

3. Materials

4. Building Control Plan

5. Biodiversity Matters

6. Matters relating to the cliff

7. Protect the public footpath

8. Withdrawal of PD rights

Demolition of existing dwelling and construct a new dwelling in its place, and work to stabilise the cliffs

            Some Members had visited the site on 05-09-23

a)    The  Senior Planning Officer highlighted that the application had already been discussed at a meeting of the Planning Committee held on 17 July 2023. At that time it had been resolved to defer the decision in order to conduct a site visit so that Members had an opportunity to see the site in the context of its location.

It was noted that it was a full application for the demolition of an existing dwelling and construction of a replacement dwelling, together with work to stabilise coastal cliffs. Externally, the new house would include a pitched roof finished in dark zinc and the finishes of the exterior walls would be a combination of timber boards on the upper floor and natural stone on the lower floors. It was noted that the site and existing building were located at the foot of the cliffs of Nefyn Beach, and the cliffs had been designated as the Clogwyni Pen Llŷn Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and was also the Porthdinllaen to Porth Pistyll Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  It was added that the site was outside the current development boundary of Nefyn with access gained to the site along the beach as well as a public footpath that led down from the top of the cliff past the site and onwards to the beach below.

It was explained that the existing site contained a house that dated back to the late 1960s/early 1970s and of a style that included flat roofs and its appearance conveyed those of that era. The site and the wider area was within the Llŷn and Enlli Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest designation, and outside a nearby flood zone (which only applied to the beach). It was noted that elements of the proposal had been amended since the original submission as a result of comments received, which included the external finishes of the dwelling following a comment by the AONB Unit (although the site was not within the AONB, these were considered as general comments).

It was added that originally, a part of the proposal involved diverting the existing public footpath that ran past the site and repositioning it to be further from the building. Following discussions and after receiving comments on the proposal from the Council's Rights of Way Unit, Nefyn Town Council and members of the public, it had been decided that the proposal was too contentious and therefore the path would stay as it was. The application had been submitted to the committee by the Local Member for reasons of it being an over-development of the site, that it would destabilise the cliffs and have an adverse impact on the area.

In the context of relevant policies, reference was made to the requirements of policy PS 5 which stated that priority should be given to the effective  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7