Venue: Siambr y Cyngor, Council Offices, Cae Penarlâg, Dolgellau, LL40 2YB. View directions
Contact: Glynda O'Brien 01341 434301
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APOLOGIES To accept any apologies for absence. Minutes: Councillors Endaf Cooke, Dilwyn Lloyd (substitute), Eurig Wyn and Councillors Jean Forsyth, Sian Gwenllian (due to a declaration of personal interest) and Ioan C. Thomas (Local Members). |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST To receive any declaration of personal interest. Minutes: (a) The following members declared a
personal interest for the reasons noted:
·
Councillor
Michael Sol Owen in Item 5 on the agenda – Planning Applications (Planning Application Number C15/0337/11/AM),
as he was a member of the Board of Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd. ·
Councillor
Anne Lloyd Jones in Item 5 of the agenda – Planning Applications: (ii)
Planning Application Number C15/0662/09/LL – as she was a member of Tywyn Town Council which would receive a financial
contribution from the applicant. The Members were of the opinion
that they were prejudicial interests, and they withdrew from the Chamber during
the discussion on the applications noted. (b) The following members declared that
they were local members in relation to the items noted: ·
Councillor Elwyn Edwards (a member of this
Planning Committee), in relation to item 5 on the agenda - Planning
applications C14/0291/04/LL and C15/0517/04/LL ·
Councillor Aeron Maldwyn Jones (not a member of
this Planning Committee), in relation to item 5 on the agenda - Planning
application number C14/0386/24/LL ·
Councillor John Brynmor Hughes (not a member of
this Planning Committee), in relation to item 5 on the agenda - Planning
application C15/0341/39/LL ·
Councillor Simon Glyn (a member of this Planning
Committee), in relation to item 5 on the agenda – Planning application number
C15/0424/46/LL ·
Councillor John Wynn Jones (not a member of this
Planning Committee), in relation to item 5 on the agenda – Planning application
number C15/0507/11/LL ·
Councillor Jason Humphreys (not a member of this
Planning Committee), in relation to item 5 on the agenda – Planning application
number C15/0748/44/LL The members withdrew to the other
side of the Chamber during the discussions on the applications in question and
did not vote on these matters. |
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URGENT ITEMS To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration. |
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The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on, 28 September 2015, be signed as a true record. (Copy enclosed) Minutes: The Chair signed the minutes of
the previous meeting of this committee held on 28 September 2015, as a true
record. |
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PLANNING APPLICATIONS To submit the report of Head of Regulatory Department. (copy enclosed) Minutes: The Committee considered the following applications for development. Details of the
applications were expanded upon and questions were answered in relation to the
plans and aspects of the policies. |
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Application No. C14/0291/04/LL - Land near Bodelith Isaf, Llandderfel PDF 2 MB Erect 2 wind turbines 57m to the hub with total height of 92.5m (instead of 115m) to the tip of the blade (Maximum output 5Mw) together with track, building and associated equipment. Local Member: Councillor Elwyn Edwards Additional documents: Minutes: Full application to erect two
57m wind turbines with a total height of 92.5m (instead of 115m) to the top of
the blades (maximum output of 5MW) together with a track, building and
ancillary equipment. Members of the Committee had visited the
site before the meeting. (a)
The Senior Development Control Officer
elaborated on the background of the application and noted that the application
included the construction of foundations, a transformer, underground cabling, construction
of an electrical substation, creation of access track, creation of temporary
security compound and a storage yard. An environmental assessment had been
submitted with the application which considered the potential impacts of the
development. Reference was made to the main policies and public consultations
that had been noted in the report. Attention was drawn to the principal policy,
namely policy C26 of the Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan as well as relevant
criteria that dealt with wind turbine developments. As the proposed development
would be able to generate 5MW, it was noted that the application was on the
threshold of what was acceptable within the policy of the Unitary Development
Plan and attention was drawn to the fact that Technical Advice Note 8 stated
that it was acceptable to refuse planning applications for developments over
5MW. The Committee’s attention was drawn
to the fact that there was a need to carefully balance whether or not the proposed
plan was acceptable in terms of the policy relating to developments outside the
Strategic Search Areas as the main aim of the policy was to protect the
landscape. It was considered that it was possible to manage ancillary
developments and decommissioning with relevant conditions. It was noted that
neither the Biodiversity Unit nor Natural Resources Wales had any objection to
the development except for relevant conditions and completion of the
development in accordance with the environmental statement. In terms of residential and general amenities, it was
noted that a number of objections had been received regarding noise but the
Public Protection Unit had not objected to the proposal and that it would be
possible to manage this through relevant conditions. Should the application be
approved, appropriate conditions would be required to ensure that the turbines
were switched off at times if moving shadows were to cause problems. The main concern of the planning officers was the impact
on the residential amenities of neighbouring houses namely Cistfaen
and Cae Iago and in response to this concern the
applicant’s agent had submitted two wireframe plans to show the scale of the
potential impact of the turbines on both properties. Reference was also made to
nearby wind turbines in Syrior and the potential
impact of the cumulative noise of the turbine which was the subject of this
application on the neighbouring houses.
In relation to highways and transportation matters, it was noted that many objections had been received based on the concern of highway safety especially during the construction period. Mitigation measures had been included in the environmental assessment which included a traffic ... view the full minutes text for item 5.1 |
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Renewal of planning application reference No. C08A/0568/24/LL for the erection of 24 dwellings, alterations to a present entrance and the creation of estate roads. Local Member: Councillor Aeron M. Jones Additional documents: Minutes: Renewal of planning
application number C08A/0568/24/LL for the erection of 24 dwellings,
alterations to an existing entrance and the creation of estate roads. (a)
The
above application was submitted to the Planning Committee to update Members and
remind them that the application had been approved at the Planning Committee
dated 28.07.14 subject to the applicant signing a legal agreement under Section
106 which involved ensuring that six of the 24 houses were affordable houses
for general local need together with providing an educational contribution as
it had been estimated that there was not enough capacity within Ysgol Felinwnda in the 2013-14 academic year for an additional
increase of over 30 pupils. However, during 2014, the capacity of Gwynedd schools,
including the above school, had been reviewed and as a result of this review,
the Education Department had confirmed that the school’s capacity had increased
from 30 to 56 pupils. Therefore, this meant that there was capacity in the
school for additional pupils which would arise from this development. To this
end, the applicant would no longer be required to provide a financial
contribution. Reference was made to
the relevant policies and public consultations within the report and it was recommended to approve the
application subject to material planning conditions. (b) The Local Member (not a member of this
Planning committee) noted the following main points: ·
That
on the whole he did not object to the application but that he questioned the
increase in the school’s capacity to 56 and as it was a modern development it
was anticipated that more than 3 children would be likely to go to the school
and he had asked the Director of Education how the capacity had increased. ·
He
appealed for the Planning Committee to visit the site as well as the school
which included two classrooms and a hall. ·
He
was in favour of the development subject to discussions with the builder to
provide a playing field for the village and a financial contribution for the
school. ·
The
above would enable the builder to construct an additional house on the play
area of the proposed estate which would make a total of 25 houses instead of
24. ·
Should
a playing field be provided on the estate, there was a need to remember that
the road was dangerous. ·
No
problem was anticipated with policy A2 as Welsh was the language of the village
of Dinas. ·
The
design was of good quality but nothing had happened since the submission of the
application in 2009 and that there was a real need for housing for young people
in the village. ·
The
Community Council had objected to the original application as the entrance and
the road which led past the development were unsuitable for the number of
houses but since then it had been understood that the developer had agreed to
widen the main entrance. (c) In response to some of the above observations, the Senior Planning Service Manager explained that the main consideration in this ... view the full minutes text for item 5.2 |
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Application No. C14/0532/14/LL - Plas Brereton, Bangor Road, Caernarfon PDF 865 KB Convert building into a restaurant and hotel (9 bedrooms), alterations to the access, felling of trees, landscaping, parking areas, convert building into a café and construction of new holiday units making a total of 18 holiday units. Local Member: Councillor Ioan C. Thomas Additional documents: Minutes: Convert building
into a restaurant and hotel (nine bedrooms), alterations to the access, felling
of trees, landscaping, parking areas, convert Dock Keeper’s lodge into a cafe and construction of new holiday
units making a total of 18 holiday units (a) The
Senior Development Control Officer elaborated on the application’s background
and noted that the proposal involved the conversion, extension and alteration
of the property as outlined above. The property was located outside the
Caernarfon development boundary as included in the Gwynedd Unitary Development
Plan and bordered with the Menai Straits which had been designated as a Nature
Conservation Site of International Importance. The Anglesey Coast AONB was
located further to the west. The public
footpath/cycle route of Lôn Las Menai ran between
Dock Keeper’s lodge and Plas Brereton. This part of
the Menai Straits had been recognised by Natural Resources Wales as an area
that was located partly within a C2 Zone as referred to in Technical Advice
Note 15 on “Development and Flood Risk” (2004) and that a part of the site was
within the extreme flooding line. Reference was made to the relevant policies and public consultations within
the report. In terms of visual amenities, it was not considered that the proposal would
have a substantial or significant impact on the visual setting of the AONB and
that the proposal was acceptable based on the requirements of the relevant
policies. It was noted that the proposal was acceptable in terms of general and visual
amenities and complied with the requirements of the relevant policies. It was noted that the Welsh Government was supportive of the application
subject to including a number of conditions relating to the design to improve
the existing access. In terms of biodiversity matters, it was noted that evidence had been
submitted confirming that there were bat roosts in Plas
Brereton and that the applicant will need to undertake relevant mitigating
measures to protect them. It was ensured that the proposal complied with the relevant policies in
terms of linguistic and community matters. Should the application be approved, the development would be a boost for the
local economy and prevent the building from deteriorating further. Attention was drawn to the fact that the site of the proposed café was
within a C2 Zone and within reach of flooding, but a consequence assessment was
submitted stating that flood consequences could be managed throughout the
lifetime of the development by incorporating mitigating measures in the plan to
convert the building into a café. Observations were received from the Local Member stating that he did not
have any objection to the application but that he had a slight concern about
the safety of the Dock Keeper’s lodge as the structure of the dock was
vulnerable in some places and there was a need to ensure that customers / the
public did not fall into the water. He was also concerned about the access. It was recommended to approve the application as it was considered that the proposal was ... view the full minutes text for item 5.3 |
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Application No. C15/0337/11/AM - Plas Llwyd, High Street, Bangor PDF 732 KB Outline application for the demolition of the existing building together with the erection of a new building containing a total of 9 flats (6 x 1 bedroom and 3 x 2 bedroom) Local Member: Councillor Jean Forsyth Additional documents: Minutes: The meeting was chaired by Councillor
Gwen Griffiths for this application as the Chair had declared a personal
interest. Outline application
for the demolition of the existing building together with the erection of a new
building containing a total of nine flats (6 x 1 bedroom and 3 x 2 bedroom). (a) The
Development Control Manager expanded on the background of the application and
noted that the application had been deferred at the September meeting of the
Planning Committee in order to confirm the land ownership situation and receive
a confirmation of the applicants’ exact intention regarding developing the
site. It was noted that the site was
located within a residential area on the high street in Bangor, which formed
part of the residential area of Hirael. Reference was made to the relevant policies together with
the public consultations within the report. Although an outline application had been submitted, it was
noted that all reserved matters had been included as part of the application
together with the full plans including elevations. The application was submitted by Cartrefi
Cymunedol Gwynedd on land that was in their ownership
and their intention was to develop the site themselves to provide flats for
local people for affordable rent. Taking into consideration that the applicant
was preparing new rented social housing for local residents under their
statutory responsibilities, it was believed that the application could be dealt
with as an exception to policy CH6. As Cartrefi Cymunedol Gwynedd was the developer, it was emphasised that
a 106 agreement would not be required. It was considered that the proposal complied with all
relevant policies in the Unitary Development Plan and relevant national advice
and that the proposal was not likely to cause significant detrimental effect on
the amenities of the local area or on any neighbouring property. (b) Taking
advantage of the right to speak, the applicant noted the following main points:
·
That
there was slight uncertainty at the previous meeting of the Planning Committee
of what was intended and he elaborated on the proposal to develop nine affordable
flats for social rent specifically for local people in the Bangor area and not
for students. ·
There
was a considerable need in the Bangor area for one-bedroom flats and that there
were approximately 100 on Gwynedd Council’s waiting list. ·
The
Council’s Strategic Housing Department was supportive of the plan. ·
The
plan had been programmed on a contingency plan and it was hoped that a grant
would be available during the current year. ·
It
was hoped that the reserved matters would also receive favourable consideration
by the Planning Committee. (c) It was proposed and seconded to approve the application in accordance
with the recommendation. (ch) The application was
supported by the Committee which noted that there was a real need for housing
for local people in the Bangor area. RESOLVED: To
approve with conditions 1.
Outline
consent time condition 2.
Condition
regarding submitting additional information in the form of a reserved matters
application. 3. Welsh ... view the full minutes text for item 5.4 |
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Application No. C15/0341/39/LL - Ynys Sant Tudwal (West) Island, Abersoch PDF 665 KB Engineering works to create a slipway. Local Member: Councillor John Brynmor Hughes Additional documents: Minutes: Engineering works to create a
new slipway. (a)
The
Development Control Manager elaborated on the background of the application
involved with the construction of a slipway that could launch two boats. It was
noted that many discussions had been held and specifically with Natural
Resources Wales officers on the application in order to find an acceptable
solution to the matter. Officers had also visited the site to be able to
provide a strong opinion on the development. Reference was made to all relevant policies together with
the public consultations within the report. In terms of the principle of the development, attention
was drawn to the fact that policy CH47 supported proposals that improved and
extended the variety of maritime facilities in the existing marinas. However,
although the policy was supportive of proposals to improve provision, this was
subject to complying with the remaining criteria of the policy which noted
“provided the scale and design of the development is of the highest standard
and is suitable for the site in question”. It was appreciated that the location was quite sensitive
in terms of biodiversity and it was ensured that the proposal had been fully
assessed against the relevant planning policies and that it had been assessed
in the context of ‘Habitats Regulations Assessment’ and ‘Appropriate Assessment’.
As part of the application a non-statutory environmental assessment had been
submitted that included a number of surveys and assessments concerning the
side-effects of the proposal on all designated sites. It was considered that
the proposal complied with the relevant policies and Natural Resources Wales
supported this opinion. In terms of visual amenities, following the completion of
full assessments regarding the visual impact of the proposed development on the
landscape and seascape it was confirmed that the proposal would have a minor
harmful impact. Members’ attention was drawn to points 5.8 - 5.26 of the report
which referred to the designations and the observations of Natural Resources
Wales and the AONB Unit. Reference was also made to the impact of the development
on the AONB, noting that Natural Resources Wales had concluded that the
proposed slipway at times would conflict with statutory conservation and the
purpose and enjoyment of the ANOB designation.
However, bearing in mind the influence of the tide on the proposal and
the fact that the slipway would only be visible to varying degrees at times of
low tide the full impact of the slipway from the coastal path would not have a
substantial detrimental impact and therefore Natural Resources Wales would not
oppose planning permission to be granted for the proposal. Therefore, it was considered that the proposal was
acceptable in terms of biodiversity and that relevant conditions would need to
be included should the application be approved.
Taking all the observations and information submitted into account it
was considered that the proposal would not cause significant harm to the
landscape or the seascape. (b) Taking advantage of the right to speak,
the applicant’s Agent noted the following main points: · The ... view the full minutes text for item 5.5 |
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Application No. C15/0424/46/LL - Land by Garreg Lwyd, Dinas PDF 845 KB Construction of an agricultural building with slurry store underneath (with part of slurry store outside of building) along with the creation of an agricultural access, shale track and yard. Local Member: Councillor Simon Glyn Additional documents: Minutes: Construction of an
agricultural building with slurry store underneath (with part of slurry store
outside of building) along with the creation of an agricultural access. (a)
The Senior Development Control Officer
elaborated on the background of the application and noted that the proposed
building would measure 30.5m by 36.6m, with the lowest level of the building’s external
walls made of concrete panels and the highest level made of Yorkshire boards.
The site was situated in the countryside and within the Llŷn
and Bardsey Island AONB. The application was
submitted to the Committee following receipt of three or more letters of
objection. Reference
was made to the relevant policies together with public consultations. In terms of principle, there was no doubt that a need had
bee proven for the new agricultural building which was the subject of this
application and it was considered that it was reasonably necessary for
agricultural purposes. Although the proposal was not located near existing
buildings it was noted that it was reasonable to expect that a holding of land
which included 110 acres would have an agricultural building located on it, and
it was considered that the applicant’s reasons relating to the need to have a
shed on the land were reasonable and worthy in relation to facilitating the
arrangements of the agricultural enterprise. In terms of visual amenities, it was noted that although
the shed was significantly sizeable, this type of structure was one which was
expected to be seen in countryside, and it was not considered that the proposal
would therefore stand out as an alien feature in a rural location within the
AONB. In light of the amendments that
have been proposed and by imposing a condition to ensure that a soil clawdd was
erected to plant the blackthorn, it was considered that the proposal would not
cause significant harm to the landscape and that it was therefore acceptable in
relation to Policy B8 of the GUDP. It was not considered that the proposal would cause
significant harm to the amenities of the local neighbourhood and that it was
acceptable in terms of the relevant policies. In terms of transport and access matters, it was not
considered that the proposal would affect road safety subject to an appropriate
condition ensuring that surface water does not flow from the site onto the
highway. In the context of biodiversity matters, it was considered
that it was appropriate to include conditions in terms of submitting and
agreeing on the clawdd’s
details, a biodiversity compensation plan together with undertaking the work on
the slope outside bird nesting season. Given all the relevant considerations, it was considered
that the proposal was acceptable and it was recommended that is should be
approved. (b) The Local Member (who was not a member
of this Planning Committee), noted the following points: ·
that
the application was before the committee as a result of a letter of objection
from the owner of a property located around half a mile away. · the planning ... view the full minutes text for item 5.6 |
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Application No. C15/0507/11/LL - 390 High street, Bangor PDF 1 MB Application for the demolition of existing building providing 7 self contained units and provision of access and associated parking. Local Member: Councillor Jean Forsyth Additional documents: Minutes: Application to demolish existing building
together with the construction of a four-storey building which provides seven
self-contained living units and the provision of an access and associated
parking. (a)
The
Development Control Manager elaborated on the background of the application,
and noted that the site was on the lowest part of Bangor High Street and within
the development boundary of the city. It was noted that the existing site was
described in relation to its use as the applicant's roofing business centre
with the building being used as offices and the yard to the rear was used to
park vehicles and to store materials and equipment. Reference was
made to the relevant policies along with the public consultations and attention
was drawn to the information submitted by the Agent on the additional
observations sheet that had been distributed to the Committee. In terms of
visual amenities, it was noted that the site was located in a relatively
prominent location, adjacent to the lowest part of Bangor High Street with the
site surrounded by buildings of various size, design and appearance which had a
mainly residential use. It was noted
that it would be inevitable that any development on the site would be likely to
have some impact on the area’s visual amenities but the proposal in this case
would see a difference of approximately 6 additional metres in height compared
with the height of the existing building. It was noted
that the success of developing the site depended on full consideration of the
impact of any building on existing views, including the adjacent listed
buildings, it was considered that it was possible to create a suitable and
striking building that would not dominate the streetscape of the adjacent
listed buildings, but it was not believed that this had been achieved in this
case. Attention was
drawn to the fact that the building to be demolished was attached to a part of
the gable end and front elevation of 1, Friars Terrace, which formed part of a
row of three striking grade II listed buildings. A separate application had
been submitted for listed building permission to undertake this work. The Senior
Conservation Officer stated that Friars Terrace and Plas
Meuryn were traditional buildings in appearance, and
the new development would be completely modern.
It was considered that the proposal was too large for the site and that
it would not add to the value and character of the listed terrace, but would
rather undermine the current character.
Erecting a new four-storey building would dominate the site and would
have a detrimental impact on the character and setting of the adjacent listed
terrace. Based on all considerations, it was noted that the principle of the development was not unacceptable, but significant amendments needed to be made in terms of the design and scale of the building in order to create a plan which was suitable and acceptable for this specific site and which responded to officers’ concerns. Therefore, it was considered that ... view the full minutes text for item 5.7 |
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Application No. C15/0533/11/LL - Railway Institute, Euston Road, Bangor PDF 1 MB Application for the proposed demolition of existing building and erection of 3 storey building to create a total of 27 student apartments, relocation of pavement, creation of layby and parking for 7 vehicles. Local Member: Councillor John Wynn Jones Additional documents: Minutes: Application for
the demolition of the existing building and erection of a three-storey building
to create 27 flats for students, relocation of pavement and creation of lay-by
and parking for seven vehicles. (a) The Development Control
Manager elaborated on the background of the application and noted that the site
was located within a residential area in the city of Bangor and within the
development boundary, on steep land along Euston Road, near the Postal Sorting
Office and railway. Reference was made to the relevant policies together with
the consultations as noted in the report. In terms of the principle of the development, it was noted: ·
That the building was not currently in use. ·
CADW did not consider that the building met criteria for it to be
listed. ·
The proposal involved erecting a new building to provide student
accommodation and that there was no
specific policy in the UDP to deal with a development of this type. ·
There was a need to weigh up material considerations when deciding
whether or not the principle of siting
the proposed development in this particular location was acceptable. ·
Figures and tables showed the latest situation involving student
accommodation developments in Bangor. As a result of additional statements submitted as part of
the application, it was considered that the proposal complied with the
requirements of the relevant policies. It was noted that the Transportation Unit was satisfied
with the on-street parking provision and with the retention of the pavement. A Linguistic and Community impact statement was submitted
with the application and after consulting with the Joint Planning Policy Unit
it was considered that the proposal was in accordance with the relevant
policies and that it would not have an impact on the Welsh language. Based on all considerations, it was considered that the
proposal was acceptable in respect of local and national policies, and that
there were no other material planning matters that stated otherwise, and that
consequently, the application should be approved subject to relevant
conditions. (b) Taking advantage of the
right to speak, an objector noted the following main points: ·
that there was an excessive supply of student accommodation in
Bangor and that no more was required; ·
halls of residence were not full;
·
a substantial number of empty spaces were available in private
sector houses; ·
there had been a deterioration in Bangor’s total student
population for several years; ·
the main objection was for the demolition of the building that was
an important part of Bangor and Wales as architectural heritage was quickly
disappearing; ·
planning consideration noted “that the building on the site was a historical
one that had important architectural elements and a community history to the
area”; ·
CADW had not granted a listed status to the building as it had
lost many of its internal features; · over 1,000 people had signed an online petition against the demolition of the building including the Victorian Society and the Bangor Civic Society. However, should it be decided that the student dwellings would be approved, the Committee ... view the full minutes text for item 5.8 |
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Application No. C15/0662/09/LL - Land at Morfa Camp, Sandilands, Tywyn PDF 999 KB Installation of solar PV panels (3.6 MW) to include ancillary buildings, landscaping and access to site. Local Members:
Councillors Anne T. Lloyd Jones and Mike Stevens Additional documents: Minutes: Install PV (3.6MW) solar panels to include
ancillary buildings, landscaping and access to the site. (a)
The
Senior Development Control Officer expanded upon the background of the
application and noted that the application site measured approximately 6.7 hectares
and included grade 4 agricultural grazing land and located on the marshland on
the boundaries of the town of Tywyn. This site was
part of the former RAF Morfa Camp. It was noted that
the Pen Llŷn and Sarnau
Special Area of Conservation was located in Cardigan Bay which was
approximately 0.7km to the west of the site, and two Sites of Special
Scientific Interest were located nearby, one on the Morfa
Gwyllt which was within 0.6km to the site to the
north and the other, namely Dyfi, within 1.4km to the
south. Attention was drawn to the fact that the ancient monuments of Caer Llechrwyd and Gwersyll Tal y Garreg were
located to the north of the site and a number of listed buildings were located
close to the site in the town of Tywyn. The proposal
involved installing solar panels to create a solar park which would generate
3.6MW of electricity for the National Grid. Reference was made to the relevant policies together with the public consultations as outlined in the report. In terms of
the principle of the development, it was noted that policy C1 of the Unitary
Development Plan related to locating new developments, and it stated that land
within town and village development boundaries and the developed form of rural
villages would be the main focus for new developments. It was considered that the proposal was
acceptable in terms of the relevant policies of the GUDP and that it complied
with the appropriate policy for the provision of energy from renewable sources.
In terms of design and materials, attention was drawn to the fact that the plans did not go into detail about the proposed materials or finishes of the structures, but it would be possible to agree on using materials that were acceptable and were in-keeping with the site. It was
proposed to landscape the site by means of appropriate measures and therefore,
it was considered that the proposal complied with relevant policies subject to
conditions. In terms of
general and residential amenities, it was noted that additional documents had
been submitted as part of the application and the information included in the
documents stated that the development would not cause any nuisance or
unsuitable glare as a result of sunshine, and that the proposal would not cause
a harmful visual impact. In the context of light pollution and lighting, it was
considered that the findings of this report confirmed that solar reflections
from the development could affect nearby houses and road users, however, it was
not considered that this impact would have a significant harm on the
residential amenities of neighbouring residents or on the safety of users of
nearby roads. It was noted that there would only be an increase ... view the full minutes text for item 5.9 |
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Application No. C15/0748/44/LL - Former Hamdden Caravan Premises, Porthmadog PDF 1 MB Conversion and extension of former caravan repair premises into car sales, MOT centre and vehicle repair garage. Local Member: Councillor Jason Humphreys Additional documents: Minutes: Conversion and extension of former caravan
repair premises into car sales, MOT centre and vehicle repair garage. (a)
The
Senior Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the
application and noted that it included extending the main building on the site
by extending it 2.3m forward to the boundary of the highway. The extension to
the building would create 37m² of extra floor surface area. The site was
located within the development boundary of Porthmadog
and it was noted that the application had been submitted to the Planning
Committee at the request of the local Member. In terms of
visual amenities, as the development was on a previously used site for a
similar use and adjacent to buildings of the same scale, it was not considered
that it would look out of place and it was considered that the development’s
appearance would be acceptable and would conform to the requirements of
relevant policies. Nor was it considered that the proposal would cause
significant harm to the amenities of the area. It was noted
that acceptable parking provision and arrangements could be secured on the site
in order to satisfy the requirements of the Transportation Unit regarding the
impact on highway safety. Given all of
the above considerations, it was noted that the proposal was acceptable based
on its use, location, setting, design, materials, scale and any potential
effect on the general amenities of the area and therefore it met the
requirements of the relevant policies. (b) Taking advantage of the
right to speak, the applicant’s Agent noted the following main points: ·
That
the former Pennant Motors garage was on the site in the past and that the
proposal created four new jobs and had been filled by local Welsh people. ·
The
proposal to create a garage corresponded with the applicant’s current business
in Dolgellau and would be a way to help make the business sustainable and
protect 20 existing jobs. ·
It
was noted that the extension was relatively small but necessary to be able to
display cars within the display room. ·
The
conversion work had been commenced to get rid of asbestos as soon as possible. ·
A
planning permission to develop and extend the building already existed. ·
The
public consultations were responded to in terms of overdevelopment by noting
that the proposal was simply an adaptation of the previous use that had already
been approved by the planners. ·
Creation
of more traffic – the consideration of the highway specialist confirmed that
the business would not create a substantial increase in traffic. ·
Impact
on the amenities of neighbouring residents – it was noted that the site had
been used in the past as a garage, a caravan repair site and also as the
Pennant Motors garage. ·
Transport
observations – that plans had already been adapted for parking spaces and had
been accepted to be suitable with the requirements. ·
Public
protection – no complaints for the use of caravan repairs which was similar to
the proposal. · Limiting working hours would create ... view the full minutes text for item 5.10 |
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Application No. C15/0807/20/CR - Menai Marina, Hen Gei Llechi, Felinheli PDF 830 KB Retrospective application to retain pontoon within the dock. Local Member: Councillor Sian Gwenllian Additional documents: Minutes: Retrospective application to
retain a pontoon within the quay. RESOLVED: To postpone
considering the application due to the implementation of the procedure for speaking in the Committee. |
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Application No. C15/0808/20/LL - Menai Marina, Hen Gei Llechi, Y Felinheli PDF 829 KB Retrospective application to retain pontoon within the dock. Local Member: Councillor Sian Gwenllian Additional documents: Minutes: Retrospective application to retain a
pontoon within the quay. RESOLVED: To postpone considering the
application due to the implementation of the procedure for speaking in the
Committee. |
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Application No. C15/0517/04/LL - Coed y Foel Uchaf, Frongoch PDF 669 KB Erection of wind turbine with a 30.5m hub height (48.01m to tip of blade) control box and associated work (resubmission of application previously withdrawn). Local Member: Councillor Elwyn Edwards Additional documents: Minutes: Installation of a wind turbine measuring
30.5m to the hub (48.01m to the tip of the blades) with a control box and
associated works (resubmission of application previously withdrawn). Members of the Committee had visited the
site before the meeting. (a)
The
Development Control Manager elaborated on the background of the application and
noted that the site was located on elevated land near the A4212 road which ran
as the main link between the town of Bala and the
village of Trawsfynydd. It was noted that the boundary of the
Snowdonia National Park was located approximately 750m to the west with the Bala and Tegid Shores Landscape of Special Historic
Interest located approximately 2km to the right of the site, and a wide area of
Open Access Land designated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2005)
was located within 300m to the east of the site. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the land was improved agricultural grazing land with electricity
pylons located approximately 450 metres to the south of the site and there were
panoramic views of the mountains around this site. Reference was
made to the relevant policies together with the public consultations within the report. Reference was
made to the additional observations submitted to the Committee. Attention was
drawn to the fact that an Anglesey, Gwynedd and Snowdonia National Park
Sensitivity and Capacity Assessment by the Gillespies
company confirmed that the application
site was within the G12 Area of Llandderfel and
described the landscape of the
area in general as one of medium scale, which had a rural and undulating
landscape, which had medium to high sensitivity to wind energy developments. The policy presumed against
developments that caused significant visual intrusion and were sited
insensitively and unsympathetically within the landscape. It was considered,
due to the prominence of the development within the landscape and from a vast
area within the Park that it would significantly affect the enjoyment of users
of the National Park. It was considered that a turbine at this proposed
location would impact on the landscape, would draw attention away from the
Park, and would impact on the designation of internationally important
land. Due to the nature of such
developments, it was very difficult to integrate them with the landscape and,
therefore, when considering such applications, their visual impact, the status
of the landscape, the economic benefits and the national aim of promoting developments that generate renewable
energy must be taken into account. It was noted that it was considered that the proposal did
not meet the requirements of the relevant policies, and that the turbine would
have a significant and substantial impact on the features and special character
of the National Park. The planning officers’ recommendation was to refuse the
application in accordance with the reason outlined in the report. (b)
The
local member (a member of this Planning Committee) made the following main
points: · That the application was a re-submission and that the applicant had wasted several months ... view the full minutes text for item 5.13 |