Agenda, decisions and minutes

To accept any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillors Louise Hughes and Elin Hywel: Councillor John Pughe (Local Member)

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

a)            The following member declared that he was a local member in relation to the item noted:-

·         Councillor Rhys Tudur (not a member of this Planning Committee), in item 5.1 (C21/1038/41/LL) 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, 28^th November 2022 and 19^th December 2022, be signed as a true record.

The Chair accepted the minutes of the previous meetings of this committee, held on 28 November 2022 and 19 December 2022 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 policy aspects

Establish a touring caravan site (19 unit) with toilet block and associated works 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Rhys Tudur

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: to defer in order to conduct a site visit

Establishing a new touring caravan site (19 units) with a toilet block and associated works 

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

a)    The Planning Manager explained that this was an application to change the use of agricultural land, to establish a touring caravan site for 19 units, extend the existing building to create a toilet block and associated work on land at Tŷ'n Lôn, Afonwen. The touring units would be sited around the boundaries of the field situated to the north-west of the property.

It was explained that a Planning Statement and summary statement about how the Welsh language would be considered had been submitted with the original application along with an Initial Ecological Impact Assessment, Botanical Survey and Badger Survey and that a Wildlife Mitigation Measures plan had been submitted at a later date. The original plans had been for a new toilet block, however, amended plans had been submitted (12 December 2022) which demonstrated a proposal to extend the existing garage building on the site to create a toilet/facilities block in its place.   

The application had been submitted to the Planning Committee as the application site was greater than 0.5 hectares.

It was noted that the material planning policy for approving developments involving touring caravans was Policy TWR 5 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan (JLDP). It was explained that the policy outlined a series of criteria and there was reference to criterion 1 which stated that any new touring caravan development must be of a high quality in terms of design, setting and appearance and well hidden by the existing features of the landscape and / or in a place where touring units could be readily assimilated into the landscape in a way that did not cause significant harm to its visual quality. 

It was reported that the proposed development would be located on a level field with mature trees along the boundaries and was therefore hidden from most public vantage points. It was reiterated that is was proposed to reinforce the screening on the site by planting a new hedge of native trees as the new western boundary to separate the caravan field from the wider field. This site was not within the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) or a Special Landscape Area and it was not believed that the development would cause significant harm to the quality of the landscape. The proposal was designed to meet the requirements of the licence in terms of space and facilities and therefore it was accepted that the development was up to standard.

It was noted that the second criteria of Policy TWR 5 required the avoidance of excessive areas of hard standing. In this case, no hard standings were shown for the caravans - the gravel track leading up the field from the entrance was the only hard standing and it was considered that the track could easily blend into the landscape. As no hard standings were  ...  view the full minutes text for item 6.

Vary and remove conditions on planning permission C15/0662/09/LL 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor John Pughe

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve with conditions

1.            The development hereby permitted shall be carried out in strict conformity with the details shown on the plan(s) numbered 1137/28, 1137/30-03, 1137/24, 1137/30-1, 1137/02B, 1137/05, 1137/07 V2, 1137/23/1137/25-2, 1137/29 submitted to the Local Planning Authority, and contained in the form of application and in any other documents accompanying such application unless condition(s) to amend them is/are included on this planning decision notice.

2.            The land should cease to be used for the purposes of generating electricity as hereby approved within 35 years or earlier from the date of energy production from the solar panels, or within 6 months of ceasing the use of any solar panels for electricity generating purposes (unless they are replaced within that period), whichever is the earliest, and this should be done in accordance with a work plan already submitted and agreed in writing by the Local Planning Authority and this will include an implementation programme.  The work plan is undertaken in accordance with the details agreed and these will include -

1.    Method statement for decommissioning and dismantling all equipment on the site;

2.    The details of any items that will be left on the site;

3.    A method statement in order to restore the land to agricultural land;

4.    Timetables for the decommissioning, disposal and restoration of the land;

5.    A method statement for the disposal / appropriate recycling of equipment / idle structures;

6.    Provision to review the plan as needed.

3.            The Biosecurity Risk Assessment dated 9 December 2015 must be implemented throughout the lifespan of the development, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

4.            If it is intended to install a lighting system on the site at any time, there will be a need to submit and agree in writing with the Local Planning Authority details of the said lighting system, showing the type, exact location, lighting level and method of safeguarding from pollution or light overpsill.  The lighting system must be installed in accordance with the details agreed.

5.            The development must be implemented in full accordance with the Landscape and Ecological Management Plan (v5) dated 10 March 2021, Skylark Monitoring Report ref S_MSF_V4 dated 9 March 2021, and the Landscaping Plan number 1137/29 throughout the lifespan of the development, unless otherwise agreed in writing with the Local Planning Authority.

6.            No operational development will be permitted to take place during any work associated with this permission within 3 metres on either side to the centre line of the supply pipes that cross the site.

7.            The development must be implemented in full compliance with the Construction Plan Method Statement and Risk Assessment by Corylus dated December 2015 in order to protect the structural condition of the two supply pipes crossing the site.  It is not permitted to carry out any further development associated with this permission until the safeguarding measures are implemented and completed.

Amend and remove conditions on planning permission C15/0662/09/LL

a)    It was highlighted by the Planning Manager that this was an application to amend and remove conditions on a solar farm in Tywyn.  It was noted that permission had been implemented and the farm was in place, but it was proposed to amend conditions to reflect more recent planning applications.

It was explained that the proposal related mainly to amending the skylark mitigation strategy that had been agreed under condition 14 of application C15/0662/09/LL. It was noted it had been agreed as part of the condition to earmark a field to the north of the solar site for skylarks, however as part of the application in question, the developer wished to improve conditions within the site for the benefit of the skylark, instead of using the noted field.

The application was submitted to committee as the site was greater than 0.5 hectares.

It was reported that as the application related to the removal of conditions imposed for valid planning reasons, it had to be considered whether the conditions in question were still relevant under national guidance in relation to planning conditions that had been included in the Welsh Government Circular 016/2014: The Use of Planning Conditions for Development Management.  The circular listed six tests for the validity of planning conditions, and it was necessary to consider whether the conditions were in line with the following tests:

• They were necessary.

• They were relevant to planning.

• They were relevant to the development which was to be permitted.

• They were enforceable.

• They were precise.

• That they were reasonable in all other aspects.

It was highlighted there was no reason for amending some of the original conditions, but the developer was required to continue to comply with them. A request had been made to remove condition 13: Submit and agree on the details of a lighting system for the site with the Local Planning Authority. As part of application C15/1368/09/AC, it was noted that it was not proposed to install any lighting as part of the development and with the work of developing the solar farm now complete, it was highlighted that no lighting had been installed on the site.  However, should lighting be required on the site in the future, then not all types of lighting required planning permission. It was considered that the installation of lights could have a potential impact on visual amenities and on local residents, along with biodiversity and therefore it was considered that it would be appropriate to amend the condition instead of removing it.   It was suggested that a condition could be imposed, which noted that if it was intended to install a lighting system on the site of the solar farm, then those details must be submitted to and agreed upon with the Local Planning Authority. This would retain control over any potential lighting that could be installed on the site and it was considered that such a condition would be  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.