Venue: Siambr y Cyngor, Council Offices, Cae Penarlâg, Dolgellau, LL40 2YB. View directions
Contact: Glynda O'Brien 01341 434301
No. | Item |
---|---|
APOLOGIES To receive any apologies for
absence. Minutes: Councillors
Dyfrig Jones and Peter Read (local member). |
|
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 Owain Williams in item 5 on the agenda - Planning
Applications (Planning Application No. C15/1072/34/LL) as he was the former
owner of the site. ·
Councillor Gruffydd Williams in Item 5 on the agenda - Planning
Applications (Planning Application No. C15/1072/34/LL) as he was the son of the
former owner of the site. 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 John Wyn Williams (a member of this Planning Committee), in
relation to item 5.4 on the agenda (planning application number
C15/1115/25/LL); ·
Councillor E. Selwyn Griffiths
(not a member of this Planning Committee), in relation to items 5.5 and 5.6 on
the agenda, (planning applications number C15/1128/44/LL and C15/1181/44/LL); ·
Councillor Gwen Griffith (a member of this Planning Committee), in
relation to items 5.7 and 5.9 on the agenda (planning applications
C15/0348/16/LL and C15/1208/16/LL); ·
Councillor Simon Glyn (a member of this Planning Committee), in relation
to item 5.8 on the agenda (planning application C15/1139/46/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. |
|
URGENT ITEMS To note any items that are a
matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration. |
|
The Chairman shall propose
that the minutes of a meeting of this committee, held on, 30 November, 2015, be
signed as a true record. (copy enclosed) Minutes: The Chair signed the
minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on 30 November 2015, as
a true record. |
|
PLANNING APPLICATIONS To submit the report of Head
of Regulatory Department. 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. RESOLVED |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/0215/40/LL - LAND BY TAN YR EGLWYS, ABERERCH PDF 913 KB Construction of 9 new
dwelling houses that includes 3 affordable dwellings along with an internal
access road and internal pedestrian footway. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor Peter Read Additional documents: Minutes: Erect nine new houses which would include 3
affordable dwellings together with forming an
internal access road and a pedestrian route. (a)
The Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the
application, and noted that the proposed houses were within the development
boundary of Abererch and that the site had been
allocated for new houses within the Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan. The site
could cope with approximately nine residential units, with approximately 35% of
those being affordable houses. It was explained that the houses would be a
mixture of single-storey and two-storey houses, with two parking spaces within
their curtilages. It was noted that a terrace of houses to the north of the site had been
registered as listed buildings.
Attention was drawn to the fact that a public footpath ran through part
of the site and that the proposal would impact the route's course and because
of this, its formal diversion would have to be arranged. It was further noted that part of the site to
the east was located within a C1 flood zone. Reference was made to the relevant planning policies together with the
response to the public consultations as outlined in the report. In the context of linguistic matters, a community statement had not been
received from the applicant as of yet but should it be approved and if it was
acceptable it could be considered that the proposal was in line with policy A2
of the GUDP. The planning officers had expressed concern regarding the layout of the
two-storey houses on the lowest boundary as they would be oppressive and would
dominate the Pen y Don property. Despite
changes to the plans, the officers had remained concerned about plots 4-7 and
had recommended that it would be better to look at the layout of the entire
site to see if two-storey houses would be better located on another part of the
site. A supportive statement was submitted
from the agent explaining that the layout had been created in this way to avoid
impact on the conservation area and the setting of listed buildings. Although there was no objection to the number of houses, it was
considered that it would be possible to have an improved layout for the
two-storey houses and therefore the officers were of the opinion that the
proposal did not comply with the brief and the criteria of policies CH1 or B22
as the layout did not respect the site in terms of scale and size and was
likely to have an impact on nearby properties.
It was also noted that the proposed landscaping was insufficient as the
fences were unsuitable as a method of enclosing the site and would be contrary
to relevant policies. It was noted that transportation, footpaths, floods, surface water and biodiversity matters were acceptable through appropriate conditions. The officers came to the conclusion that the proposed plan as submitted was contrary to policies CH1 and B22 due to its setting and visual impact, B27 due to ... view the full minutes text for item 5.1 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1072/34/LL - ERW WEN LLANLLYFNI PDF 476 KB Retrospective application for
the erection of one row of solar panels in field. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor Owain Williams Additional documents: Minutes: Retrospective
application for the erection of a row of solar panels in a field. (a)
The
Senior Development Control Manager elaborated on the background of the
application, noting that the domestic solar panels had been installed in their
place. The site was situated in open countryside
between Tai'n Lon and Nasareth
and was within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It was noted that the area of the panels
measured approximately 66m square, and measured 22m by 3.3m in height and
generated 10kw of power. It was noted
that the purpose of retrospective applications was to control the development
and refer to national policy which clearly stated that the situation should be
rectified but not by punishing the individual that was breaking the rules, and
that the application should be considered on its own merits. Reference was made to the
relevant planning policies together with the response to the public
consultations within the report. No
objection had been received to the application. The application's main
consideration was the development's visual impact on the AONB and late
observations had been received from the AONB Unit stating that as the
development was small and although it was visible from some nearby locations,
it was not considered that it unacceptably impacted the AONB, but perhaps it
would be beneficial to plant more trees to screen the development from the
public footpath. With relevant conditions to
ensure that the cables were underground, it was considered that the application
was acceptable and conformed to relevant planning policies. The report's content had acknowledged the
impact on users of the public footpath and the planning officers were of the
opinion that it was acceptable and would only impact a very small part of the
path and therefore no landscaping conditions were necessary. It was recommended to approve the application
in line with the conditions outlined in the report. (b)
Taking advantage of the right to speak,
the applicant noted the following main points:- ·
That the development formed part of continuous
improvements to Erw Wen ·
When
the property had been purchased, it had one of the worst scores in terms of
energy performance and environmental impact rating, and by now the performance
score had arisen and conformed with the Welsh Government's environmental
requirements for 2020. ·
The location of the solar panels was important in
terms of complying with local government guidelines together with balancing the
needs of the environment and the area ·
The setting of the panels almost reflected the
angle of the hill and that they had been placed in a very low location in the
field ·
The
lowest part of the field together with the mature trees had a natural bowl
effect when screening the panels from the north, the east and the west. To the south, there were two rows of trees
which created the least possible visibility of the panels · It was intended to plant trees in the lowest part of the field between the panels and the property's courtyard as well as planting ... view the full minutes text for item 5.2 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1109/08/LL - BWTHYN BACH GWYN, PANT, PENRHYNDEUDRAETH PDF 711 KB Part retrospective
application for converting an outbuilding into a dwelling. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor Gareth Thomas Additional documents: Minutes: Partly retrospective application for the adaptation of a house's
outbuilding. (a)
The
Development Control Manager elaborated on the background of the application and
noted that the application for the conversion of a two-storey building which
had previously been an agricultural building on the outskirts of the town of
Penrhyndeudraeth into a two-storey dwelling. An off-street parking space would
be provided at the front of the building. It was noted that the work of
converting the building had already commenced, and the application had been
submitted following action from the Planning Service's Enforcement Unit. It was noted that the site
was in the middle of a residential area, within a Landscape Conservation Area
and within the development boundary of Penrhyndeudraeth. Reference was made to the
relevant planning policies together with the response / objections to the
public consultations within the report. Attention was drawn to the
main policies when assessing the application, namely C4 and CH11, and it was
believed that the alterations that had already been undertaken conformed to the
requirements of the above policies. Objections had been
received which noted that the external alterations had impacted the area's
character. However, several amendments had historically been made to the
building, and it was considered that the property had already lost a lot of its
character. It was noted that re-using
the building offered its renovation, its safeguarding and prevention from
further deterioration. It was considered that the business use rather than the
previous use would be an improvement and would have less impact in terms of
disturbance and noise. Attention was
drawn to the fact that the building had been located far enough from other
houses to ensure that there would be no impact on the privacy of nearby
properties. It was confirmed that
transportation and biodiversity matters were acceptable. It was considered that the
development of a new house on this site is acceptable and it was not considered
that it would have an adversely harmful impact on the area’s amenities or on
neighbouring residents. Furthermore, it was considered that the location,
design, finish and form of the development was acceptable and was in keeping
with the context of its location.
Therefore, it was recommended to approve the application in line with
the relevant conditions as outlined in the report. (b)
Taking advantage of the right to speak,
the applicant’s agent noted the following main points:- ·
When the owner had purchased the property he was
under the impression from the description that it was a high-quality house ·
That the construction work had commenced, the work
had been stopped and a planning application had been submitted. ·
The intention was to use an old building which had
deteriorated ·
Although
some negative observations had been received, these were irrelevant to planning
matters, for example one referred to the fact that the walls had been plastered
but attention was drawn to the fact that most houses in the proximity had been
plastered and painted · The site was mainly surrounded by dwellings and the ... view the full minutes text for item 5.3 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1115/25/LL - GOETRE UCHAF, OFF FFORDD PENRHOS, BANGOR PDF 1 MB Part re-plan to 174
residential dwellings at existing approved development (Ref:C12/1347/25/LL) by
way of increasing the overall number of dwellings from 245 to 266, comprising
detached, semi-detached and apartments to include affordable units (35%) with
associated parking and garden areas. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor John Wyn Williams Additional documents: Minutes: Part re-plan to 174
residential dwellings at existing approved development (Ref:C12/1347/25/LL) by
way of increasing the overall number of dwellings from 245 to 266, comprising detached,
semi-detached and apartments to include affordable units (35%) with associated
parking and garden areas. (a)
The
Senior Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the
application and noted that this was an amendment to the existing permission to
increase the number of houses on-site from 245 to 266, namely 21 additional
houses by way of providing more one and two bedroom units. It was emphasised that the plan did not
involve expanding the site or amending the internal roads layout within the
site. Attention was drawn to the fact
that the original permission had been implemented, and the work continued on
the site with 50 of the houses already occupied. The application was submitted in response to
a change in the housing market since the original application was permitted,
with the intention of providing two-storey houses and flats. The
Committee's attention was drawn to point 1.6 of the report which referred to an
appeal which was ongoing on the site.
Despite the appeal, it was noted that this application had been
submitted to provide additional necessary information on the previous
application with the hope of avoiding an appeal should planning permission be
granted prior to the date of the appeal.
However, full consideration had to be given to the application submitted
and it needed to be considered on its own merits. The site was
located within the development boundary of the city of Bangor which had been
specifically allocated for residential development. Reference was made to the relevant policies
together with the responses received to the consultations. Two additional letters of objection had been
received since providing the report and they had been noted. It was noted
that the principle of establishing the houses had already been approved in the
original permission and the site had been allocated for housing in the Gwynedd
Unitary Development Plan, and the development brief noted that the site could
cope with 270 residential units based on the development density of 30 units
per hectare. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the application in question better contributed to the Council's
housing targets than the existing permission and because of this, the planning
officers were of the opinion that the number of units proposed as part of the
application was acceptable. The previous
application had been approved with a condition to ensure a phased development
and the condition would have to be re-imposed should the application be
permitted in order to respond to the higher number of houses. It was noted that
the application proposed seven affordable houses in addition to the 86 which
had already been approved and the provision of affordable housing remained at
35%. As part of
the previous application, significant financial contributions had been received
to transportation and education but there was no justification to request
further contributions. An amended transportation assessment had been ... view the full minutes text for item 5.4 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1128/44/LL - CAE EITHIN, MORFA BYCHAN ROAD, MORFA BYCHAN PDF 684 KB Application for the erection
of 4 new dormer bungalows. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor E. Selwyn Griffiths Additional documents: Minutes: Application
to erect four new two-storey dormer bungalows. (a)
The
Development Control Manager elaborated on the background of the application and
noted that the application was within a broader site which had already received
outline permission for a residential development of nine houses. Reference was made to the
relevant policies together with the responses received to the public
consultations. A letter of objection had
been received late from an individual who had already expressed concerns and
the report responded to those concerns. In terms of concerns about overlooking
and the impact on the houses at the rear, it was explained that the bungalows
were single-storey with windows in the roof at a high level. It was noted that the
Transportation Unit were supportive of the application and following
consideration of all relevant matters together with the site's planning
history, it was considered that the application to erect four dormer bungalows
was acceptable and it was recommended to approve the application. It was further noted that a contribution of
33% was affordable housing on the site and therefore there was no need to
request a further contribution. (b)
The
Local Member (who was not a member of this Planning Committee) noted: ·
That
he supported the application in light of the fact that an outline application
had already been approved ·
That
it was an opportunity to house local young people ·
Concern
about the height of the bungalows based on the term "dormer" (c)
In response, the Senior Development Control Officer
explained in terms of the design, there were bedrooms in the roofspace, but they had no dormer windows and it would be
possible to include a condition stating that no changes should be made to the
roof in future. It was proposed and
seconded to approve the application. Resolved: To
approve the application in accordance with the following conditions together
with the following condition outlined by the officer in (c) above: 1.
Time 2. Comply with plans 3.
Materials / slates 4.
Landscaping 5.
Highways 6.
Drainage 7.
Finished floor level details 8.
Party wall note 9.
No changes to the rear roofs |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1181/44/LL - BRYN HYFRYD, 25 HEOL MERSWY, BORTH Y GEST PDF 666 KB Application for the
demolition of existing garage and erection of ancillary annexe. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor E. Selwyn Griffiths Additional documents: Minutes: Application to demolish garage and construct
an associated annexe in its place. (a)
The
Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the application,
and noted that the property was an end of terrace house with an access track
running alongside it and past its rear in order to provide vehicular access to
other houses behind it. The existing
garage was located in the furthest rear end of the property's curtilage, and
other houses in the terrace had the same type of arrangement. The proposal involved
demolishing the existing garage and erecting a new building on the same
footprint to form an associated annexe to the main property which would provide
a garden room, a bathroom, together with a spare room to be used as a
bedroom/office. Reference was made to the
relevant policies together with the responses received to the public
consultations. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the site was located within the development boundary of the village
of Borth y Gest and although there was no physical link
between the main house and the annexe, the only way into the annexe would be
through the garden of the main property, which was within the same ownership. It was considered that the
proposal was acceptable and was an appropriate and sustainable way of providing
additional rooms without undermining the planning policies of the Gwynedd
Unitary Development Plan, and complied with the requirements of the relevant
planning policies. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the owners of the property next door had objected based on the
bathroom window which had been located on the southern elevation which
overlooked the path which provided access to the next door property's
garden. It was not considered that the
window would be likely to cause significant or unacceptable overlooking in this
case. It was noted that the
Council's Transportation Unit was happy with the existing parking arrangements
and had no objection in terms of road safety. It was recommended for the
planning officers to approve the application as it was not considered that the
proposed application was contrary to relevant policies. (b)
Taking advantage of the right to speak, the
objector noted the following main points: ·
Concern
that the annexe could be considered a separate residential unit ·
The annexe was an overdevelopment of the site ·
There was no link between the main property and
the annexe, only access via a gate at the side of the road which had not been
adopted ·
There was a steep decline of between 3-4m between
the house's area and the garage and there was no access to the house ·
The report stated that there was no physical link
between the main dwelling and the annexe - therefore reiterating that the
annexe would be a separate unit · The report stated that the annexe should not operate separately from the main dwelling as that would be a risk of subdividing the dwelling in the future, and further noted that the annexe provided a self-contained unit - therefore ... view the full minutes text for item 5.6 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/0348/16/LL - FORMER CAR PARK, PANT YR ARDD, TREGARTH, BANGOR PDF 1 MB Application to construct a
two storey building for a class A1 shop use with associated works including
alterations to an existing access and creation of car parking spaces. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor Gwen Griffith Additional documents: Minutes: Erect a new two-storey building to be used as
a class A1 shop, together with ancillary work including adapting an existing
access and creating parking spaces. (a)
The
Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the application and
noted that the existing site formed part of a car park which was associated with
an existing public house on the other side of an adjacent public road, and
included a plot which was used as a beer garden / picnic site for one part and
on the other part there were community recycling facilities. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the site directly abutted the development boundary of the village of Tregarth. He expanded on the proposal and reference was
made to the relevant policies together with the responses to the public
consultations. An objection had been
received relating to noise and litter impact but the planning officers believed
that it was possible to manage the concern with relevant conditions. It was considered that the
proposal to erect a building to provide a shop was acceptable and met all
relevant matters including local and national policies and guidelines. (b)
The
Local Member (a member of this Planning Committee) noted the following main
points: ·
There
had been no shop in Tregarth for several years and it
could be assured that it would be a viable and successful business ·
The
building's appearance looked more like a house than a shop and it would be
necessary to be vigilant of its use for the future ·
The
site had been used as a play area and there was concern about child safety (c)
In
response to the above, the Senior Planning Service Manager noted that should an
application be received in years to come to change the shop's use, it would be
possible to deal with the application then because it was not possible to
impose a condition tying the building to permanent business use. It was added that due to the fact that the
land was outside the boundary the relevant policy would not permit open market
housing on this type of site. It was further explained that the recycling
arrangement was outside planning arrangements and was a matter for the Highways
and Municipal Department. It was confirmed that the beer garden and the play
area would be abolished. (ch) The Senior Development Control Engineer
explained that in response to a concern regarding losing the parking spaces,
there were unrestricted parking opportunities on the street and that it was not
a cause for concern for the Transportation Unit. It
was proposed and seconded to approve the application. Resolved: To
approve the application in accordance with the following conditions: 1.
Time 2.
Comply with plans 3.
Materials (including natural slate) 4.
Restrict the use of the building for A3 retail use only 5.
Submit ventilation unit details. 6.
Restrict the location of waste retention 7.
Highways 8.
Welsh Water 9.
Pollution 10. Limit opening times 11. Manage the recycling site ... view the full minutes text for item 5.7 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1139/46/LL - GLANRAFON FAWR, LLANGWNADL PDF 669 KB Extend existing touring
caravan site to adjacent field by re-siting one unit and create 10 additional
touring pitches and environmental improvements. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor Simon Glyn Link
to relevant background documents Additional documents: Minutes: Extend touring caravan site
to adjacent field, re-locating one unit and creating 10 new touring units and
environmental improvements. (a)
The
Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the application,
and noted that the site was located in the countryside and was served by a
rural class 3 county road and a farm track.
It was noted that the caravan site was on a slight slope, behind a row
of mature trees which abutted the Pen y Graig river
below in a dip near the farmhouse and the farm buildings. Reference was made to the
relevant policies together with the responses received to the consultations. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the plans had been amended from what was originally submitted with more improvements;
landscaping had been proposed after discussions with officers. It was intended
to plant mixed plants on both sides of the field's entrance, to plant more
trees around the site and to erect cloddiau and small hedges as a screen at the top of the row. It was further
noted that the site was relatively hidden and was unobtrusive in the landscape. The existing site was in
operation between 1 March and 31 October and the same period would be relevant
to the new units. The legal use certificate permits the permanent storage of 8 of the caravans on their
plots, and as part of the improvement the applicant was requested to consider moving the storage caravans over the
winter period to a more concealed
corner. It was noted that the
nearest neighbours were a field’s width away from the site which was a reasonable distance to ensure that
neighbours' privacy and amenities were safeguarded. In terms of transportation
and access matters, a concern had been expressed originally about the increase in road traffic as passing
places were rare, but it was noted that the applicant had offered to create an
additional passing place and as a result the Transportation Unit's objection
had been withdrawn. Based on the
Transportation Unit's observations, it was considered that the proposal was
acceptable subject to the passing place being provided to conform with the
requirements involving road safety. The officers’
recommendation was to approve the application in line with relevant conditions. (b)
Taking advantage of the right to speak,
the applicant’s agent noted the following
main points:- ·
It was a simple application for a local family for
an addition of 10 touring plots together with environmental improvements and
the creation of a new parking space. ·
The proposed application was to upgrade the site to
modern standards ·
To mitigate the concerns regarding road safety, the
owner had offered to create a new passing place ·
The site was very concealed (c)
The
Local Member (who was a member of this Planning Committee) noted his support of
the application and that it complied with all relevant policies and he appealed
for the Committee to approve it. It
was proposed and seconded to approve the application. Resolved: To approve the application in accordance ... view the full minutes text for item 5.8 |
|
APPLICATION NO: C15/1208/16/LL - PENRHYN QUARRY, BETHESDA PDF 519 KB Application to vary condition
2 attached to permission C15/0276/16/LL to relocate the building and small zip
landing platform and changes to the parking provision. LOCAL MEMBER:
Councillor Gwen Griffith Additional documents: Minutes: The
Vice-chair took the chair for the above application because the Chair had to
leave to attend another meeting. Application to amend
condition 2 of permission C15/0276/16/LL to re-locate the building and the small
zip's landing point and changes to parking arrangements. (a)
The
Senior Development Control Officer elaborated on the background of the
application, noting that since the previous application was determined further
investigations had discovered that the site which had been permitted was not
viable to build on due to the depth of the bedrock and that the company needed
to change the location of the building to save the project. Other minor
amendments were also requested to the building's design, parking arrangements
and the landing location of the small zip.
Reference was made to the
relevant policies together with the responses received to the consultations. Since publishing the
report, observations had been received from the Biodiversity Unit stating that
they had no objection. The Committee was reminded
that the principle had already been approved. The need for a further Community and Linguistic
Statement to what had already been submitted was not considered necessary. It was not considered that the proposal
would likely have an impact on the amenities of any nearby property or
individual or on the landscape and it was
recommended to approve the application in line with the relevant
conditions. (b)
Taking advantage of the right to speak,
the applicant’s agent noted the following
main points:- ·
The application was similar to the application
which had been approved originally but the location of the buildings needed to
be changed ·
The building had changed slightly but the proposal
and the appearance was the same ·
The Zip World enterprise was growing and was eager
to start on the above work (c)
The
Local Member (who was a Member of this Planning Committee) noted that she
supported the application and welcomed the enterprise as the company employed
local people and the proposed building would be a way to offer convenient
facilities for users. It was proposed and
seconded to approve the application. Resolved: To approve the
application subject to the following conditions: Conditions: 1. In
accordance with the plans 2. In
accordance with the conditions of application C12/0276/16/LL (5 years, use,
biodiversity, materials and finishes and landscaping) The meeting
commenced at 1.00pm and concluded at 4.00 p.m. |