Agenda, decisions and minutes

To accept any apologies for absence.

Apologies were received from Councillor Elin Hywel

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

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

·           Councillor Gruffydd Williams (a member of this Planning Committee) in relation to item 6.1 (C21/1220/42/LL) on the agenda

·           Councillor Gareth A Roberts (a member of this Planning Committee) in relation to item 6.2 (C22/1169/15/LL) on the agenda

·           Councillor Gareth Morris Tudor Jones (a member of this Planning Committee), in item 6.4 (C23/0201/08/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, 17^th July 2023 be signed as a true record.

The Chair accepted the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee, held on 17 July 2023, subject to ensuring that bullet point 2 in item 5.3ch (application number C22/1169/15/LL Llanberis Library, Ffordd Capel Coch, Llanberis <https://gwynedd-planning.tascomi.com/locations/index.html?fa=edit&id=42543>) in the English version corresponds to the Welsh version:

          Awgrym i ystyried codi dau dŷ yn hytrach na thri, fyddai’n rhyddhau lle parcio

It was suggested that two three dwellings be erected instead of three two, which would release parking spaces

Community: Llanberis and Nant Peris

Ward:  Llanberis

Proposal: Gwynedd Council Order (various County roads, Arfon Area) (30mph speed restriction) 2023

DECISION:

To approve keeping the speed restriction at 30mph on a section of the road on the A4086 and keeping the speed restriction at 30mph on the A4086 between Nant Peris park and ride and Pont Gwastadnant.

Community: Llanberis and Nant Peris         Ward:  Llanberis

Proposal: Gwynedd Council Order (various County roads, Arfon Area) (30mph speed restriction) 2023

a)    It was reported that a Restricted Roads (20mph Speed Limit) (Wales) Order 2022 had been made by Welsh Ministers on 13 July 2022 following Senedd Cymru's decision. Before 17 September 2023, local authorities should consider which restricted roads must stay at 30mph. To this end, the Council had introduced a 30mph order for Arfon, Dwyfor and Meirionnydd areas with the Arfon order including an intention to keep the speed restriction at 30mph on 37 sections of the road in the area.

The proposed 20mph Scheme was consulted upon with stakeholders in December 2022 as part of the pre-consultation process where observations were received and changes were introduced to the schemes. Further consultations on the proposed schemes were held with stakeholders and members of the public in April 2023. In July 2023, as part of the statutory consultation process, an e-mail was received objecting to the order for two sections of the A4086 Class 1 Road from Llanberis Community Council (although reasons for the objections had not been submitted).

In response to the objections, it was noted that Officers were of the opinion that these sections of the road should stay at 30mph as the road was a first class road, that the number of houses on the side of the road was smaller than 20 buildings/km and that there were only dwellings without a private access road from the highway on one side of the road and it would affect the emergency services. It was reiterated that the roads in question were currently 30mph and, therefore, the order did not propose any change to the road's current situation. Although officers fully understood the wishes of Llanberis Community Council, those wishes did not correspond with the guidance set out by the Welsh Government. Despite this, the Traffic Unit would continue to monitor traffic on these sections of the road with the intention of reviewing the decision in 6 months.

It was reiterated that the requirements of the Equality Act 2010 and the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 had been considered when assessing the proposal.

a)  It was proposed and seconded to approve the exceptions.

b)              During the ensuing discussion, the following observation by a Member was noted:

·         These sections of the road were very short, therefore, keep at 20mph for safety.

In response to an observation about implementing a small 30mph section on Ffordd Pentre' Castell before reducing further to 20mph, it was noted that the Traffic Unit had deemed reducing from 60mph to 20mph as too much of a step and, therefore, a short 30mph buffer had been implemented to reduce speed gradually.

RESOLVED:

To approve keeping the speed restriction at 30mph on a section of the road near Pendre Castell on the A4086 and keeping the speed restriction at 30mph on the A4086 between Nant Peris park and ride and Pont Gwastadnant.

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.

RESOLVED

Cliff stabilisation works, demolition and reconstruction of a single house 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Gruffydd Williams

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve – conditions

1. Time

2. In accordance with plans

3. Materials

4. Building Control Plan

5. Biodiversity Matters

6. Matters relating to the cliff

7. Protect the public footpath

8. Withdrawal of PD rights

Demolition of existing dwelling and construct a new dwelling in its place, and work to stabilise the cliffs

            Some Members had visited the site on 05-09-23

a)    The  Senior Planning Officer highlighted that the application had already been discussed at a meeting of the Planning Committee held on 17 July 2023. At that time it had been resolved to defer the decision in order to conduct a site visit so that Members had an opportunity to see the site in the context of its location.

It was noted that it was a full application for the demolition of an existing dwelling and construction of a replacement dwelling, together with work to stabilise coastal cliffs. Externally, the new house would include a pitched roof finished in dark zinc and the finishes of the exterior walls would be a combination of timber boards on the upper floor and natural stone on the lower floors. It was noted that the site and existing building were located at the foot of the cliffs of Nefyn Beach, and the cliffs had been designated as the Clogwyni Pen Llŷn Special Area of Conservation (SAC), and was also the Porthdinllaen to Porth Pistyll Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).  It was added that the site was outside the current development boundary of Nefyn with access gained to the site along the beach as well as a public footpath that led down from the top of the cliff past the site and onwards to the beach below.

It was explained that the existing site contained a house that dated back to the late 1960s/early 1970s and of a style that included flat roofs and its appearance conveyed those of that era. The site and the wider area was within the Llŷn and Enlli Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest designation, and outside a nearby flood zone (which only applied to the beach). It was noted that elements of the proposal had been amended since the original submission as a result of comments received, which included the external finishes of the dwelling following a comment by the AONB Unit (although the site was not within the AONB, these were considered as general comments).

It was added that originally, a part of the proposal involved diverting the existing public footpath that ran past the site and repositioning it to be further from the building. Following discussions and after receiving comments on the proposal from the Council's Rights of Way Unit, Nefyn Town Council and members of the public, it had been decided that the proposal was too contentious and therefore the path would stay as it was. The application had been submitted to the committee by the Local Member for reasons of it being an over-development of the site, that it would destabilise the cliffs and have an adverse impact on the area.

In the context of relevant policies, reference was made to the requirements of policy PS 5 which stated that priority should be given to the effective  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

Removal of the existing helicopter landing pad and construction of two new landing pads to support the existing Hospital. Works will involve re grading the soft landscape to accommodate a new access road, landing pads inclusive of all surface water drainage, illuminated landing markings and barriers, new secure fencing and enclosures to support the aircraft.

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION:

To approve the application subject to conditions relating to the following:

1.    Time (five years)

2.    In accordance with the plans

3.    The recommendations of the Arboriculture Assessment and Method Statement and Ecological Appraisal must be followed.

4.    Welsh Water Condition to protect the sewerage system.

Notes

1.    Welsh Water

2.    Natural Resources Wales

3.    Land Drainage Unit

Removal of the existing helicopter landing pad and construction of two new landing stages to support the existing hospital. The work will include re-grading the soft landscape to include a new access road, landing pads including all surface water drainage, markings and illuminated landing barriers, new safety fences and enclosures to maintain the helicopters.

a)    The Development Control Team Leader highlighted that this was a full application for the creation of a new landing facility for helicopters near Ysbyty Gwynedd in Bangor. The work would include:

·         removing the existing helicopter landing pad

·         creating two new landing areas by:

o   re-grading the landscape and creating two embankments with a circular shaped flat plot behind them

o   installation of hard standings for landing pads

o   surface water drainage work

o   installation of new illuminated landing barriers

o   erection of security fencing

o   creation of enclosures in order to maintain the helicopters

o   associated engineering work.

It was explained that the landing pad was located approximately 150m to the east of the hospital, on a plot of sloped land on an elevated site above the city, which, according to the Civil Aviation Authority, offers very good flight paths into and out of the hospital grounds. The hospital stands on the southern peripheries of Bangor Subregional Centre in the area of Penrhosgarnedd. The site is also partly located within the buffer zone of Crug Goetre Uchaf  Registered Monument.

In the context of the principle of the development, it was considered that this was a scheme to enhance an essential service offered to the communities of Gwynedd and that it met the relevant criteria as listed under Criterion 1, Policy ISA 2 of the LDP and, therefore, the principle of the application was acceptable.

In the context of general amenities, it was noted that this development would be in a concealed location from the majority of nearby viewpoints. Public footpath number 39 in the Community of Bangor ran past the northern boundary of the site, however, there was a mature hedge between this path and the site. The majority of the views from the site were from a distance and in the context of the existing developed site and the hospital nearby. When considering the local landscape and existing trees and hedges surrounding the site, it was not believed that there would be a significant change to the view of the site as observed from the outside.

It was noted that there was potential for noise and disturbance to emanate from this type of facility but this was unlikely to be significantly worse than what already happened. There would not be a significant increase in the use made of the site, instead, it would be possible to deal more efficiently with the transport that needed to use the landing pads, particularly in an emergency when more than one helicopter would need to land in a short space of time.

It was highlighted that the site was approximately 200m from the nearest residential houses and  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

Demolish the old library and build three new intermediate affordable houses.

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Kim Jones

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION:

To approve – conditions:

1.    The development shall be commenced within five years

2.    Development to comply with the approved plans

3.    Condition to ensure that the houses remain permanently affordable

4.    Slate roof

5.    The recommendations of the Initial Ecological Assessment must be observed

6.    The recommendations of the Flooding Risk Assessment must be observed

7.    Welsh Water Condition

8.    A Welsh name must be given to the development

Note:  Welsh Water

           Sustainable Drainage

Demolition of former library and construction of three new intermediate affordable dwellings.

            Some Members had visited the site on 05-09-23

a)    The Senior Planning Officer highlighted that the application had already been discussed at a meeting of the Planning Committee held on 17 July 2023. At that time it had been resolved to defer the decision in order to conduct a site visit so that Members had an opportunity to see the site in the context of its location.

It was reported that it was a full application for the demolition of the former Llanberis library and the construction of three new 'intermediate' affordable dwellings in its place (two 2-bedroom semi-detached dwellings and one 3-bedroom detached dwelling). The library was closed in 2017 and the site, which was within the residential area of the Llanberis Local Service Centre as defined in the LDP, had been dormant since. The site was served by Ffordd Capel Coch, which also served Ysgol Dolbadarn. Reference was made to the footbridge over Afon Coch river towards the rear of the site, which connected with Glanrafon Estate - over the past few years flood alleviation work had been completed on the river banks as a result of significant flooding in 2012.

The development had been introduced by Cyngor Gwynedd as part of the 'Tŷ Gwynedd' scheme.  The houses would be offered to buy or rent for an affordable price to local people.

Attention was drawn to the number of objections to the plan because parking issues already existed on Ffordd Capel Coch which caused ill-feeling amongst residents, and there was concern that the construction of three dwellings at this location would exacerbate the situation.  In addition, there were concerns regarding the hazard to street users, including children who attended the nearby school, due to the increase in traffic.

Despite the concerns, the Transportation Unit had no objection to the proposal in principle although they had noted that they would not support the creation of on-street parking spaces. The officer stated that there was a private parking space for each new property in the plans and that space would remain for three cars to park on the road in front of the development. It was added that until recently, the site had been a public library that attracted traffic itself.  Consequently, it was not considered that the development itself would exacerbate the on-street parking situation compared to what could be the case under the site's current lawful planning use.  Similarly, it was not considered that the traffic caused by three dwellings would cause a greater risk to street users than the former library.

In the context of flooding concerns, a Flood Consequence Assessment (FCA) had been submitted with the application in response to initial observations from Natural Resources Wales (NRW). It was noted that the findings of the Flood Consequence Assessment and the modelling process that was followed confirmed that the development would comply with the requirements of the current TAN 15, specifically the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

Full application for the demolition of existing structures and construction of a new dwelling and associated works 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Gareth Morris Jones

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To defer in order to conduct a site visit

Full application for the demolition of existing structures and construction of a new dwelling and associated works

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

a)            The  Development Control Team Leader highlighted  that it was a full application to demolish existing structures and construct a new detached two-storey dwelling and associated works. An external balcony would be included on part of the dwelling's first floor on the south-eastern elevation, namely the elevation that would look away from any neighbouring property. The site was located within the development boundary and within the Western Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Llŷn and Enlli Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest. The application had been amended twice since it was originally submitted in response to observations received and following discussions with officers.

The application was submitted to the Planning Committee for a decision at the local member’s request due to concern about the size of the proposed house and its proximity to other houses.

It was explained that the site in question had already been developed and, therefore, was considered as a brownfield site and was located within the development boundary of the village of Edern. The proposal, therefore, met the requirements of policies PS 5, PCYFF 1 and PS17 of the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan (LDP).

The requirements of policy TAI 15 noted that an appropriate level of affordable housing must be ensured in the plan's area. Depending on the scale of developments, a contribution towards affordable housing provision was expected in accordance with the threshold recognised for the county's settlements. In the case of the village of Edern, which had been identified as a rural/coastal/local village, the threshold was 2 or more units.  As this proposal was for the provision of one new house only, it did not meet this threshold to consider affordable provision.

In the context of the visual amenities, currently, the site consisted of industrial-like sheds that were quite simple in design, which stood unnoticed within the plot. It was acknowledged that the proposed house would be larger in size than the existing buildings but in response to highlighted concerns, the building had been amended from what had been originally submitted. The new house was located within part of the site that was within the development boundary, and although this meant it was closer to the northern boundary of the site than it would have been should it have been pushed further into the site, it was not considered that its location within the site was unreasonable. The roof ridge height of the existing highest shed was 3.3m and the height of the ridge of the proposed roof would be 5.8m.

In the context of general and residential amenities, it was noted that the site was surrounded to the south-west, north and the north-west by dwellings with open lands extending past the southern/south-eastern boundary of the site. Elements of overlooking already existed due to the location of the existing buildings. There  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.