Agenda, decisions and minutes

To accept any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received by Councillors Gareth A Roberts, Louise Hughes, John Pughe Roberts and Cai Larsen

To receive any declaration of personal interest and to note protocol matters.

a)         The following member declared that she had an interest in relation to the item noted:

Councillor Elin Hywel (a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.1 (C22/0898/42/LL) on the agenda due to a family connection.

The Member was of the opinion that it was a prejudicial interest, and she withdrew from the meeting during the discussion and did not vote on the application.

b)         The following member declared that she had an interest in relation to the item noted:

Miriam Williams (Legal Services) in item 5.4 (C24/0011/30/AM) on the agenda, as she knew the applicant.

The Officer was of the opinion that it was a prejudicial interest, and she left the Chamber during the discussion.

c)         The following members declared that they were local members in relation to the items noted:

·         Councillor Gareth Morris Jones (a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.1 (C23/0898/42/LL) on the agenda

·         Councillor Gareth Williams (not a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.4 (C24/0011/20/AM) on the agenda

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration.

None to note

The Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on the 18^th of March 2024, be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on 18 March 2024 as a true record.

To submit the report of the Head of Environment Department.

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

Erection of Chapel of Rest

Local Member: Councillor Gareth Tudor Morris Jones

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve – conditions

1.     5 years

2.     In accordance with the plans and the green infrastructure plan and statement

3.     Agree on external finish

4.     Welsh Water condition

5.     Parking

6.     ⁠External appliances may not be installed in relation to the refrigerator without prior agreement with the Local Planning Authority.

Notes:

SUDS

Biodiversity supervision note

Construction of Chapel of Rest

Attention was drawn to the late observations form

a)      The Development Control Team Leader highlighted that this was an application that involved constructing a new building to be used as a Chapel of Rest. ⁠It was noted that the floor plan showed that there would be an office, cold store, toilet, loading and unloading area for vehicles and space for a Chapel of Rest within the building.

It was explained that the location of the proposal was in the middle of the village of Morfa Nefyn, located adjacent to the B4417 highway, approximately 50m away from the crossroads with the B4412. It was highlighted that there were no other buildings on this side of the road in this location (except for the funeral director's building and existing public toilets).

It was noted that the application was a re-submission of a proposal that was refused under reference C22/0568/42/LL and that the agent of the application had provided a statement in response to the refusal reasons for that application. Originally, it was unclear how the proposed building would operate with the existing building and no information was presented with the application regarding the exact current and proposed use of the existing workshop.

Further information had now been received, confirming that the applicant was one of three on the coroner/police list for dealing with emergency calls in the Pen Llŷn area. The new building would be used to store a hearse, providing a temperature-regulated area and room for the family/doctor to visit the deceased. 

It was explained that the existing building was not accessible as there was a staircase down to the part currently used as a temperature-regulated area and therefore a trolley could not be used in compliance with health and safety requirements. In addition, it was proposed to purchase a new hearse and it would not be possible to park this within the existing building as the new hearse was bigger, this meant that the hearse would have to be loaded outside in a location open to the public. The applicant confirmed that the business would work effectively by using both buildings and the proposal provided showed how the existing building would be used as well as how it would be used should the new building be approved.

It was also noted that a revised site plan had been submitted which extended the application site to improve access into the site, provide three additional parking spaces together with a turning area within the site and to keep the vehicular access doors into the building clear. ⁠A Green Infrastructure Plan and Statement proposing hedge planting and installing nesting and bat boxes on the proposed building had also been submitted.

It was highlighted that the application had been submitted to the Planning Committee at the request of the Local Member. ⁠The application was deferred at the Planning Committee on 28.11.2022 (at the request of the applicant) to try and solve highways matters and to present further  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Erection of 10 industrial units,new access,parking and landscaping

Local Member: Councillor Dafydd Meurig

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve the application subject to material planning conditions relating to:

1.     Time

2.     Compliance with the plans

3.     All materials to be agreed

4.     Permitted use of Units for any purposes within Use Class B1, B2 or B8 only

5.     Landscaping / biodiversity enhancements condition

6.     Opening hours: 06:30 to 18:00 Monday to Friday, 06:30 to 17:00 Saturday and 08:00 to 16:00 Sunday / Bank Holidays

7.     The details of any external equipment installed on the building must be submitted

8.     No unit should be brought into use until the connection with the public sewer has been completed

9.     To operate in accordance with the submitted Construction Traffic Management Plan

10.  Welsh Water Condition

11.  Ensure Welsh / Bilingual signs

            Notes

1.         Welsh Water

2.         Land Drainage Unit

3.         Language Unit

Erection of 10 industrial units, new access, parking and landscaping

Attention was drawn to the late observations form

a)      The Planning Manager highlighted that this was a full application to erect a building on a vacant plot of land within the Bryn Cegin Business Park, Llandygai. It was noted that the building would be split into ten units, with the intention of obtaining consent for Use Class B2, namely General Industrial. Despite not being completely relevant to the application, it was noted that there were no specific users for the units yet.

In terms of the principle of the development, it was reported that the site was located outside the development boundary but was part of a site protected as a Strategic Regional Business site within the LDP for B1, B2 and B8 use. It was noted, as the intention was for class B use, it would comply with policy CYF 1 that related to protecting, allocating and reserving land and units for employment use.

It was noted that the plot of land surrounding the building would include 31 parking spaces and the access would be provided through the existing vehicular entrance that provided access from the inner road that serviced the broader business park.

Although fairly large, (floor area of 995m² and 8.2m to the roof ridge), the new building would be of a size, design and materials that would be expected for contemporary industrial buildings. It was considered that the design and appearance was acceptable and complied with policy PCYFF 3. In addition, impact on amenities could be managed with conditions that related to opening hours and any external machinery e.g. extraction systems.

A statement relating to the Welsh Language had been submitted and, as part of the consultation process, observations had been received highlighting concern about the impact of the development on the Welsh language. In response, an explanation was received by the applicant noting that the units could not be advertised to tenants until the application received Planning permission. To promote the Welsh language, the applicant stated his willingness to collaborate with the Language Unit and create a transfer file for the units that would commit the tenants to the Cynnig Cymraeg (Welsh Offer) that was in accordance with the Language Unit's advice.

It was reported that late observations had been received from the Transportation Unit confirming that there was no objection to the proposal and that a green infrastructure statement had been received that complied with the requirements of Planning Policy Wales. As a result, it was not considered that the proposal was contrary to any material planning policy within the LDP and the proposed development was appropriate for the site and likely to be of strategic importance to the county as a starting point for business developments on the site. The Planning Authority recommended approving the application with conditions.

b)    The Chair noted that the Local Member had apologised that he could not be present, but he had sent the following  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Full Application for the erection of a new workshop/office building, a workshop/welding building, and a vehicle wash unit together with a private fuel storage tank and other ancillary spaces

Local Member: Councillor Dewi Jones

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve

1.         5 years

2.         In accordance with the plans and documents submitted as part of the application

3.         Colour of finish to be agreed

4.         PV panel details to be agreed

5.         Carry out landscaping in accordance with the plan contained within the LVIA (Landscape Visual Impact Assessment)

6.         The Biodiversity improvements must be completed in accordance with the contents of section 4 of the ecological report

7.         Welsh Name

8.         Welsh Signs

9.         Condition for discovery of unidentified pollutants

10.       Welsh Water conditions

11.       The equipment/material to be stored in the external storage area to be no higher than 4m.

Notes:

Nature Conservation

SUDS

Major applications

Welsh Water Letter

Natural Resources Wales Letter

Full application for the erection of a new workshop/office building, a workshop/welding building and a vehicle wash unit together with a private fuel storage tank and other ancillary spaces

a)    The Development Control Team Leader highlighted that this was a full application with the intention to include the following elements: ⁠⁠

·         Workshop and Office Building

·         Workshop and Welding Unit 

·         Vehicle Wash Unit

·         External Storage Area

·         15 HGV parking spaces

·         40 parking spaces including 3 disabled and 8 EV charging points.

·         Bike storage area

It was reported that the site was located on Lôn Cae Darbi (unclassified road) on the eastern periphery of Cibyn Industrial Estate and within the Caernarfon development boundary and designated employment site. It was reiterated that the site had been used as an abattoir until recently and the buildings had by now been demolished under advance notice C22/0431/14/HD. It was noted that rubble waste and skips remained on the site following demolition and the vegetation around the site had been cut or removed. The proposal meant erecting buildings as well as using them to service and repair commercial vehicles.

In the context of visual amenities, it was acknowledged that the proposal meant constructing substantial buildings on the site, that was now visible from the Caernarfon bypass.⁠ ⁠It was also acknowledged that the site was located within an existing Industrial Estate and formed part of a designation for safeguarding B1, B2 and B8 employment uses. The buildings associated with the employment uses would be substantial in terms of their nature and the cross-section plans confirmed that the proposal in question would cause a similar visual impact to that which previously existed on the site. It was reiterated that the proposal provided an external storage area on the site, and the height of what would be stored here could be restricted to 4m by means of a Planning condition; most of the trees and hedges that surrounded the site had been felled but it was proposed to landscape the site to compensate for the loss of this vegetation.

In the context of general and residential amenities, it was noted that the site was located at least 170m away from any residential property, with the nearest houses either located on the Industrial Estate, or on the opposite side of the bypass which ran past the outskirts of the site. On this basis, and that the site was located on an existing Industrial Estate, adjacent to other existing industrial units, it was not considered that the proposal was likely to have a significantly detrimental impact on any nearby residents.

It was reported, in addition to the servicing and repairing commercial vehicles use, that it was proposed to provide 15 HGV parking spaces, 40 general parking spaces (including three disabled and eight EV charging points) and a bike storage area. It was highlighted that a Construction Traffic Management and Environmental Management Plan had been submitted as part of the application that showed that it was proposed to use the site's existing accesses and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Outline application with some matters reserved (appearance, landscaping) for the provision of 5 self-build plots for affordable dwellings.

Local Member: Councillor Gareth Williams

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: Defer in order to conduct a site visit and request more information from the applicant

Outline application with some reserved matters (appearance, landscaping) to create five self-build plots for affordable housing

a)    The Planning Manager highlighted, that an outline application was in question to consider the principle of the proposal, and details of the access, landscape and scale of the development. The appearance and landscape did not form part of the application.

It was explained that the existing site was open agricultural land with the surrounding boundaries in a mix of natural hedgerows, earth banks and post and wire fencing - the whole site was outside the existing development boundary of the village of Aberdaron and was therefore a site to be considered in open countryside, with parts of the site's southern boundary partially abutting the development boundary. It was reiterated that the site was within the Llŷn AONB and the Llŷn and Bardsey Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest designations.

⁠In terms of the development's principle, it was noted that Aberdaron had been defined as a rural / coastal village in the LDP with approximately 95 houses and some facilities within the development boundary - the latest housing figures showed that there was capacity within the Aberdaron supply level for a development of this scale.

With the site being outside the development boundary, it was highlighted that Policy TAI 16 was the relevant policy and consideration needed to be given to the acceptability of the site as an exception site. It was noted in the formal response given to the pre-application enquiry that evidence was needed in the form of a Housing Statement to include an assessment of the need of eligible applicants for affordable housing. ⁠Despite this, information was received in the form of a questionnaire completed for local connection for 5 people/couples. ⁠It was highlighted that this information, in addition to a chapter within the Planning Statement, was the justification for the need of these five houses, and although there was also reference noting that these individuals had registered with Tai Teg, no evidence had been submitted in the form of an assessment to prove that these individuals had a real need for affordable housing or the type of houses that they needed.

⁠The officer noted that it was completely essential that applicants for affordable housing were assessed fully for their needs and that 'desire' was not a sufficient reason for the need for affordable housing. ⁠Reference was made to the Housing Unit's observations where it was noted that six people were on the Tai Teg register for intermediate properties, but Tai Teg had confirmed that the six, who were on their register for intermediate properties, had not been fully assessed for a self-build plan. As a result, it was not considered that the need had been proven and therefore the proposal did not comply with policy TAI 16.

Reference was made to Policy TAI 8 that also required a housing statement for an application of this size to ensure an appropriate mix of housing. ⁠It was reported that no statement  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.