Agenda, decisions and draft minutes
PDF 172 KBVenue: Hybrid - Siambr Dafydd Orwig, Swyddfeydd y Cyngor, Caernarfon LL55 1SH
Contact: Lowri Haf Evans 01286 679 878 Email: lowrihafevans@gwynedd.llyw.cymru
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APOLOGIES To accept any apologies for absence. Additional documents: Minutes: Apologies
were received from Councillors Huw Rowlands and Delyth Lloyd Griffiths. |
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DECLARATION OF PERSONAL INTEREST AND PROTOCOL MATTERS To receive any declaration of personal interest and to note protocol matters. Additional documents: Minutes: a)
The
following member declared an interest in the item noted: Councillor
Cai Larsen (a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.3 (C25/0778/14/LL)
on the agenda as he was a Member of the Adra Board. b)
The
following members declared that they were Local Members in relation to the
items noted: Councillor
Menna Trenholme (not a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.1
(C24/0323/14/LL) on the agenda. Councillor
Cai Larsen (a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.1 (C24/0323/14/LL)
on the agenda. Councillor
Nia Jeffreys (not a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.2
(C25/0946/44/EIA) on the agenda. Councillor
Gwilym Owen (not a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.2
(C25/0946/44/EIA) on the agenda. Councillor
Dewi Jones (not a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.3
(C25/0778/14/LL) on the agenda. |
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URGENT ITEMS To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chairman for consideration. Additional documents: Minutes: None to
note |
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The
Chairman shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this
committee, held on, 7th of September 2026, be signed as a true
record. Additional documents: Minutes: The Chair
accepted the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 13 July
2026 as an accurate record. |
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PLANNING APPLICATIONS To submit the report of the Head of Environment Department. Additional documents: Minutes: |
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Proposed
petrol filling station, electric vehicle charging hub, retail building and
creation of new access and associated works to include landscaping. LOCAL
MEMBERS: Councillor Menna Trenholme and Councillor Cai Larsen Additional documents: Decision: 1. The proposal, because of its location, scale and use
is considered to be unacceptable due to the level of disturbance and increase
in activity compared to the current situation, consequently the proposal is
considered to be contrary to criterion 7 of policy PCYFF 2 of the Anglesey and
Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan 2011-2026, which safeguards the amenities
of the occupiers of local properties. 2. The test of likely significant impact suggests that
the proposal may cause a significant impact on the features of the Glynllifon
SAC, in particular the lesser horseshoe bat which is a feature of this SAC, as
a result of its location, evidence that the area is used by lesser horseshoe
bats and that the proposal affects the hedges used by the bats. Insufficient
information has been submitted as part of the application to enable the Local
Planning Authority to complete an Appropriate Assessment in this case in
accordance with the Authority's requirements under the Conservation of Habitats
and Species Regulations 2017. It is therefore concluded that there can be no
assurance that the proposal will not have a significant or adverse effect on
the SAC due to the lack of information, therefore the proposal does not comply
with the requirements of the Conservation of Habitats and Species Regulations
2017. 3. A green infrastructure statement has not been
submitted as part of the application and therefore there is no assurance that
the proposal complies with the requirements of Chapter 6 of Planning Policy
Wales (2024) with regard to the step-wise approach and biodiversity
enhancements. 4. There is currently insufficient information submitted
as part of the application to assess the impact of any land contamination. To
this end, it cannot be confirmed whether the proposal complies with the
requirements of criterion 7 of policy PCYFF 2 or policy PS6 of the Anglesey and
Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan 2011-2026. 5. The site contains a designated main river (afon
Rhosdican) and there are concerns about this development and the future flood
risk to the proposal and to third parties. Insufficient information has been
submitted as part of the application to ensure suitable and adequate access to
machinery to enable future maintenance of the main river and to provide a flood
flow route/buffer zone to the main river. Without this information, we cannot
ensure that the proposal complies with the requirements of criterion 4 of
policy PS6 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan 2011-2026. 6. Insufficient evidence was submitted as part of the
planning application to demonstrate that full consideration has been given to
the loss of the best and most versatile agricultural land. The application is
therefore considered to be contrary to the requirements of criterion 6 of
Policy PS 6 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan 2011-2026
and to the advice provided in paragraphs 3.58 and 3.59 of Planning Policy
Wales. 7. The development does not reflect a sensitive or appropriate approach to design. It appears incompatible ... view the full decision text for item 6. Minutes: Proposed petrol filling
station, electric vehicle charging hub, retail building and creation of new
access and associated works to include landscaping. Attention was drawn to the
late observations form. a)
The
Monitoring Officer highlighted that the application was being submitted for
reconsideration as one aspect relating to the surface of the retail and 'food
to go' area needed further consideration as the refusal reason had not been
explained in full at the meeting on 13 July 2026. It was noted that the Committee's decision
needed to be reviewed as the information was not available in full for the
Committee when they had made a decision at that
meeting. As the additional refusal grounds had not been considered, and the
decision had not been formally released, it was noted that it would be
appropriate to reconsider the application in light of
the additional refusal grounds. Advice was given to review the decision and for
the Committee to consider the additional refusal grounds as part of the application as a whole. b) The Planning Manager noted
that since discussing the application at the committee on 13 July 2026, that a
matter had been brought to the attention of the Local Planning Authority,
highlighting that the original report submitted to the Committee for the application
had not given full or adequate consideration to the "food to go"
units and the retail area proposed as part of the application. It was
highlighted that the original report had reached a conclusion on the proposal's
retail impact without fully considering the content of the application and
relevant planning policies in the context of the retail and "food to
go" area. Following legal advice on the matter and considering that the
determination had not been published and that this matter had come to hand,
highlighting that the Planning Committee had not possessed full information
when reaching its decision at the Committee on 13.07.2026, it was considered
appropriate to refer the application back to the Planning Committee for
reconsideration. It was reiterated that the report had now been amended to
include the "food to go" area and a full assessment of the matter had
been completed and included as a part of the assessment of the application as a whole. It was reported that
this was a full application for the construction of a service station to
provide fuel for vehicles, including an electric car charging hub, retail
building to include two "food to go" areas, as well as the creation
of a new access and associated work, including landscaping. It was explained that the site was located outside the development boundary as noted in the Local Development Plan (LDP); The site did not sit within any special land designations, but based on the impact of Phosphorus, it was highlighted that the site was located within the consultation zone of the Afon Gwyrfai Special Area of Conservation (SAC). The site was located directly adjacent to the A487, which was a part of the strategic roads network. ... view the full minutes text for item 6. |
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Application No C25/0946/44/EIA Land Along The A483 Corridor, Porthmadog The extension of the existing Wern Cables Sealing End Compound (CSEC) including a new permanent access; a new Minffordd CSEC and Tunnel Head House (THH) with permanent access; the removal of the existing Garth CSEC; installation of new 400 kilovolt (kV) cables to replace redundant 400 kV and 132 kV cables; and other associated infrastructure and ancillary works. LOCAL MEMBERS: Councillor Nia Jeffreys Councillor Gwilym Jones Councillor June Jones Councillor Meryl Roberts Link
to relevant background documents Additional documents:
Decision: DECISION:
To permit 1. Time Limit The development must commence within 5 years of the
date of the permission. 2. Approved Schemes The development to be carried out in accordance with
the approved plans and documents. 3. Hours of Work: Limits construction work hours and manages
out-of-hours operations. 4. Piling Requires non-percussive piling methods and restricts
piling hours. 5. Lighting Requires approval of a lighting scheme to protect bats
and control light spill before operational lighting is installed. 6. Enclosures Requires
approval of colours and finishes for fences, walls, gates and other boundary
treatments. 7. Contamination Requires
investigation and remediation of any previously unidentified contamination
encountered during development. 8. Flood Mitigation Requires approval and implementation of a temporary
flood mitigation scheme for construction works. 9. Wern Registered Park and Garden Requires a mitigation/offsetting scheme for impacts on
the Wern Registered Park and Garden. 10. Habitat Management and Monitoring Plan (HMP) Secures habitat compensation, biodiversity net
benefit, habitat monitoring and INNS management over the long term. 11. Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (LEMP) Secures
landscape restoration, planting, habitat management, ecological monitoring and
long-term maintenance. 12. Archaeological Investigation (WSI) Requires
archaeological investigation and recording before groundworks commence. 13. Archaeological Reporting Requires
submission of an archaeological report and archive following fieldwork. 14. Materials and Waste Management Plan Secures
sustainable management, reuse, recovery and disposal of excavated materials and
waste. 15. Public Rights of Way Requires management arrangements for public rights of
way and National Cycle Route 8 during construction. 16. Construction Method Statement Prior to
the commencement of any works on site, Construction Method Statements (CMS) and
Risk Assessments shall be submitted to the satisfaction of the Overseeing
Organisation for the Strategic Roads Network (SRN). 17. Carriageway reinstatement design Prior to the commencement of any works on site a
carriageway reinstatement design and pavement specification shall be submitted
to the satisfaction of the Welsh Government as Overseeing Organisation for the
Strategic Roads Network. 18. Welsh Water Assets Requires
surveys and protection/diversion arrangements for water and sewerage
infrastructure. 19. Surface Water Drainage Prevents connection of surface water to the public
sewer network. 20. Welsh language signs Requires development-related signage to be Welsh or
bilingual with Welsh given priority. 21. Minffordd Tunnel Head House CTMP Requires
a package-specific Construction Traffic Management Plan for the Minffordd Tunnel Head House works. 22. Minffordd Tunnel Head House CEMP Requests a package-specific Construction Environmental
Management Plan for the Minffordd Tunnel Head House
works. 23. Minffordd Tunnel Head House HMP Requests a package-specific Habitat Management Plan
for the Minffordd Tunnel Head House works. 24. CTMPs for the Main Work Packages Requires separate Construction Traffic Management
Plans for the Wern CSEC, Garth CSEC, Minffordd CSEC
and Glaslyn Cables work packages. 25. CEMPs for the Main Work Packages Requires separate Construction Environmental Management
Plans for the Wern CSEC, Garth CSEC, Minffordd CSEC
and Glaslyn Cables work packages. 26. Community facilities restoration plan Bodawen Playground and Ysgol Eifionydd. Note: Amendment of Dŵr Cymru/Welsh Water conditions in line with the late representations ... view the full decision text for item 7. Minutes: Extension to the existing Wern cable sealing end compound including a
new permanent access, a new sealing end compound and tunnel head house with
permanent access at Minffordd; removal of the
existing Garth sealing end compound; installation of new 400 kilovolt (kV)
cables to replace redundant 400 kV and 132 kV cables; and related
infrastructure and ancillary works. Attention was drawn
to the late observations form, specifically a comment from Welsh Water on the
wording of the condition. Reference was made to a correction that comments on
the Railway (paragraph 5.299 - 5.303 of the report), had been submitted by the
Welsh Highland Railway Ltd, which operates the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway. a)
The Senior Minerals and Waste Planning Officer highlighted that the
Project was a part of the broader network transmission upgrades required to
facilitate the work of connecting 50 Gigawat (GW) of
offshore wind energy by 2030. Increasing capacity on the existing transmission
line between Pentir and Trawsfynydd
substations has been identified as a step that urgently needs to be taken to
provide more transmission capacity. This is acknowledged by Ofgem, the national
energy regulators, who have identified the necessary works as an Accelerated
Strategic Transmission Investment. The proposed work of the application included encompassing 106.4
hectares and measured approximately 6km between the CSEC (Cable Sealing End
Compounds) of Wern and Minffordd. The path of the
work passes through the Porthmadog Roundabout, under the A487 Porthmadog
Bypass, and crosses the Welsh Highland Heritage Railway (WHHR) and Ffestiniog
and Welsh Highland Railways (FWHR); continuing to the north of Clwb Chwaraeon Madog before
passing again under Porthmadog Bypass. It will cross the Glaslyn Site of
Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and continue eastwards towards its end point
at the existing Garth CSEC. The proposed work is divided into the following
elements; Wern CSEC, Glaslyn Cables, Garth CSEC, Tunnel Head House and Minffordd CSEC. It was reported that the application submitted was an Environmental
Impact Assessment application, which has considered all developments that are a
part of the whole Reinforcement Project between Pentir
and Trawsfynydd. In terms of the principle of the development, it was noted that the new
cables would use XLPE technology, to replace the existing oil-filled cable
system and therefore that there are advantages in terms of modernising the
resilience of the network, as well as reduce the environmental risks associated
with the existing oil cables. It was reiterated that the project was also a
part of the broader network work required to facilitate progress in the
renewable energy provision, therefore the principle is afforded national policy
support, including Future Wales and Planning Policy Wales, which acknowledges
the need for additional grid infrastructure to support the switch to low carbon
energy. In the context of the landscape and visual amenities, as the cables are being installed underground, it was considered that the biggest visual impacts would happen during the construction period. It was explained that the Landscape and Visual Appraisal identifies temporary moderate and substantial detrimental impacts ... view the full minutes text for item 7. |
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Application No C25/0778/14/LL Land At Ffordd Llanberis, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, LL55 2ED Erection of 36 no. dwellings and associated
infrastructure works including roads and footpaths, amenity space, landscaping
and drainage measures, and a new substation. LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Dewi Jones Additional documents: Decision: DECISION:
To approve with conditions 1.
5 years 2.
In accordance with the plans 3.
Highways Conditions 4.
Tree protection fencing must be installed prior to the commencement of
any construction work to avoid damage to the trees and any potential liability 5.
Biodiversity condition – Hedgerow and in line with the green
infrastructure statement 6.
Welsh Water Conditions 7.
Public Protection conditions – noise mitigation measures, installation
of acoustic fencing, details of air source heat pumps, working hours 8.
Submission of a Construction Environmental Management Plan 9.
Land contamination conditions 10.
Archaeological conditions 11.
Welsh Name 12.
Affordable Housing condition 13.
C3 only condition 14.
Removal of permitted rights Notes Highways SuDS Major
Development Minutes: Construction of 36 houses
and associated infrastructure works including roads and footpaths, amenity
space, landscaping and drainage measures and a new substation. a)
The
Senior Planning Officer highlighted that the application related to the
construction of 36 dwellings on land located on the outskirts of Caernarfon - a
site abutting a residential estate on one side and a single dwelling and
industrial site on the other side. The development would provide 10 flats, 3
bungalows and 23 houses, with all units being affordable, including a mix of
social rent housing and intermediate rent housing. In addition to the
dwellings, the scheme will include an estate entrance and road, parking spaces,
open spaces and a sustainable drainage area with associated landscaping. The site lies
outside, but immediately adjacent to, the Caernarfon development boundary as
defined in the LDP. Access is gained to the site off the Class 1 county road
running along the northern boundary of the site, with a public footpath running
along the eastern boundary of the site. Flood zone 2 and flood zone 3, surface
water and small watercourses, are located close to the south-eastern boundary
of the site. In accordance with
the appropriate procedure, a Pre-Application Consultation Report was submitted
as part of the application and the developer had advertised the proposal to the
public and the statutory consultees prior to the submission of a formal planning
application. Reference was made to
the observations of the Housing Strategic Unit which confirmed the general
affordable need (no local connection) for Peblig,
with further information received from the Unit confirming that the affordable
need with a 5-year connection with Caernarfon (Band 1A-2), was 199 (September
2026) and that 323 were on the Tai Teg list for an intermediate 2/3 bedroom
property (total for all types of dwellings was 351). It was noted that these
figures did not include the rural need within 6km of Caernarfon, therefore the
overhead figure was likely to be higher. It was reported that
the proposal was for housing where a clear affordable need had been proven, on
a site located outside the development boundary, but abutting the development
boundary for Caernarfon. It was considered that the proposal formed a logical
extension to the town and therefore complied in full with the requirements of
policies PCYFF 1 and PCYFF 2, TAI 8, TAI 15 and TAI 16 of the LDP, as well as
the relevant advice provided within the Supplementary Planning Guidance and
national direction within Planning Policy Wales and Technical Advice Notes. It was highlighted that the current land was agricultural land and that the proposal was to plant and retain a hedge to surround the site in order to mitigate the substantial detrimental impact on the broader landscape. Considering that the proposal was located on the outskirts of the town, and that it would be difficult to assimilate into the broader built landscape of Caernarfon, it was considered acceptable and that it would not have a substantial detrimental impact on the character ... view the full minutes text for item 8. |