Erection of wind turbine with a 30.5m hub height (48.01m to tip of blade) control box and associated work (resubmission of application previously withdrawn).
Local Member: Councillor Elwyn Edwards
Minutes:
Installation of a
wind turbine measuring 30.5m to the hub (48.01m to the tip of the blades) with
a control box and associated works (resubmission of application previously
withdrawn).
(a) The Development Control Manager elaborated on
the background of the application and noted that the site was located on
elevated land near the A4212 road which ran as the main link between the town
of Bala and the village of Trawsfynydd.
It was noted that
the proposed structure would be tall and manmade and would stand alone on high
ground and the site would be visible from various perspectives in the
neighbouring area and beyond, the turbine would be particularly visible whilst
travelling along the A4212 down the valley to the direction of the site from
the west. This would be due to its elevated and prominent
location on the skyline from near and distant views in and out of the National
Park. It was considered that the impact on the area’s
visual amenities would be substantial, and although electricity pylons were
located to the south of the site, it was not considered that this would
alleviate the detrimental impact of the development on the rural character and
landscape of the area as it was a substantial, moving structure that would stand
isolated.
Attention was
drawn to the fact that the application site was close to the boundary of the
Snowdonia National Park and that SNP's objection to the development noted that
there would be an impact on views within the Park boundaries. It was considered, due to the prominence of the
development within the landscape and from a vast area within the Park that it
would significantly affect the enjoyment of users of the National Park.
Additionally, it
was noted that officers had not been convinced that the proposal was a valid
diversification activity and that this had been supported by recent appeal
decisions on applications for turbines on other sites within the County.
It was noted that
it was considered that the proposal did not meet the requirements of the
relevant policies, and that the turbine would have a significant and
substantial impact on the features and special character of the National Park.
(b) Taking advantage of the right to
speak, a supporter of the application noted the following main points:-
·
That the
application site was part-industrial with two rows of pylons on the site that
were taller than the wind turbine;
·
The
turbine would only be visible from the road for 1.5 miles when travelling to
the direction of Bala;
·
The tourism
period was brief and that the argument in terms of the impact on tourism was
ambiguous;
·
The
applicant intended to make financial contributions to different community
entities for a 20 year period and if possible, a condition should be included
to ensure this.
(c) The local member (a member of this Planning Committee) made the following
main points:-
·
That the
objections of the Snowdonia National Park had come from an officer, rather than
from a meeting of the Authority;
·
That the
impact on the views was a matter of opinion;
·
There were
two rows of pylons in the area and some were as high as 47 metres, therefore
the turbine would not add to the impact on the landscape;
·
That Llandderfel Community Council supported the application;
·
Neither
Natural Resources Wales nor CADW objected to the proposal;
·
Wind
turbine developments did not affect tourism;
·
Three
turbines had already been approved near the river bank;
·
That
financial contributions to the community had been offered;
·
That the
feed-in tariffs for renewable energy developments were coming to an end, but
that he hoped that the Government would reconsider.
·
He asked
the Committee to support the application.
(ch) In the context of the abovementioned observations, the senior Solicitor
emphasised that financial contributions should not be considered, as these
would be dealt with outside the planning system, this was also true for the
feed-in tariff. The Committee needed to
assess the application and consider the matters to hand.
Proposed and seconded to undertake a site
visit.
RESOLVED to undertake a site visit.
Supporting documents: