Convert building into a restaurant and hotel (9 bedrooms), alterations to the access, felling of trees, landscaping, parking areas, convert building into a café and construction of new holiday units making a total of 18 holiday units.
Local Member: Councillor Ioan C. Thomas
Minutes:
Convert building
into a restaurant and hotel (nine bedrooms), alterations to the access, felling
of trees, landscaping, parking areas, convert Dock Keeper’s lodge into a cafe and construction of new holiday
units making a total of 18 holiday units
(a) The
Senior Development Control Officer elaborated on the application’s background
and noted that the proposal involved the conversion, extension and alteration
of the property as outlined above. The property was located outside the
Caernarfon development boundary as included in the Gwynedd Unitary Development
Plan and bordered with the Menai Straits which had been designated as a Nature
Conservation Site of International Importance. The Anglesey Coast AONB was
located further to the west. The public
footpath/cycle route of Lôn Las Menai ran between
Dock Keeper’s lodge and Plas Brereton. This part of
the Menai Straits had been recognised by Natural Resources Wales as an area
that was located partly within a C2 Zone as referred to in Technical Advice
Note 15 on “Development and Flood Risk” (2004) and that a part of the site was
within the extreme flooding line.
Reference was made to the relevant policies and public consultations within
the report.
In terms of visual amenities, it was not considered that the proposal would
have a substantial or significant impact on the visual setting of the AONB and
that the proposal was acceptable based on the requirements of the relevant
policies.
It was noted that the proposal was acceptable in terms of general and visual
amenities and complied with the requirements of the relevant policies.
It was noted that the Welsh Government was supportive of the application
subject to including a number of conditions relating to the design to improve
the existing access.
In terms of biodiversity matters, it was noted that evidence had been
submitted confirming that there were bat roosts in Plas
Brereton and that the applicant will need to undertake relevant mitigating
measures to protect them.
It was ensured that the proposal complied with the relevant policies in
terms of linguistic and community matters.
Should the application be approved, the development would be a boost for the
local economy and prevent the building from deteriorating further.
Attention was drawn to the fact that the site of the proposed café was
within a C2 Zone and within reach of flooding, but a consequence assessment was
submitted stating that flood consequences could be managed throughout the
lifetime of the development by incorporating mitigating measures in the plan to
convert the building into a café.
Observations were received from the Local Member stating that he did not
have any objection to the application but that he had a slight concern about
the safety of the Dock Keeper’s lodge as the structure of the dock was
vulnerable in some places and there was a need to ensure that customers / the
public did not fall into the water. He was also concerned about the access.
It was recommended to approve the application as it was considered that the
proposal was acceptable and complied with the relevant policies and guidelines.
(b) Taking advantage of the
right to speak, the applicant’s Agent noted the following main points:
·
That
the site was currently empty and in poor condition.
·
The
proposal was to restore the Plas as a hotel with 9
bedrooms together with a moderate extension to locate a restaurant.
·
Proposed
café for the Dock Keeper's lodge on the Menai waterfront with the lodge on the
highway being restored to store staff facilities.
·
A
suitable bat roost would be built.
·
The
site would be appropriately managed.
·
The
proposed development would be a valuable tourist attraction for the area, an
important employer and have a positive impact on the local economy.
·
The
building’s high quality design and finishes would attract visitors from near
and far and create expenditure within the development and for the nearby area.
·
The
development would meet local and community requirements by providing leisure
facilities namely a café and a restaurant in a well-known building which was
appreciated locally.
·
The
application complied with local policies and that every relevant point had been
considered.
·
The
site was close to the town of Caernarfon and Bangor with excellent
accessibility to the nearby A55 and the design had been created to sit
comfortably within the existing context and environment.
·
There
was huge demand for the property to become a successful development in order to
prevent continued deterioration and provide an attractive view for the approach
into Caernarfon.
(c) It was proposed and seconded to approve the
application.
(ch) During the ensuing
discussion the following points were highlighted:
·
Sadness
that Plas Coch was not part
of the development.
·
Should
an environmental assessment be received to ease concerns regarding the
possibility that asbestos would permeate into the sea from the former site of
the Friction Dynamics (Ferodo) factory?
·
Concern
regarding the danger of transportation in terms of turning into the entrance of
the site bearing in mind the narrow road and increased traffic during the
summer and should a visibility splay be created?
·
Would
it be possible to include conditions for the following:
Ø to plant trees to replace the ones that
would be felled;
Ø to ensure that holiday units do not
change into permanent units;
Ø to mitigate the noise and disturbance
emanating from boats that would disembark to visit the café.
In response to the above, the officers noted:
·
That
the Trunk Road Unit, Welsh Government had held discussions with the applicant
regarding the access and had submitted conditions stating that no additional
road would now be required but rather to widen the existing access to ensure
suitable visibility towards Caernarfon.
In addition, Caernarfon’s proposed by-pass would reduce the burden on
transportation in the long term.
·
The
officers had consulted with the Council’s Public Protection Department and that
no specific concerns had been raised in terms of land pollution and it was
ensured that assessments had been completed with the application in terms of
draining the surface water.
RESOLVED: To approve the application subject to
conditions:
1.
Five years
2. In accordance with the plans.
3. Natural slate.
4.
Landscaping
5.
Road safety (Welsh Government
conditions – Transport).
6. Conditions relating to biodiversity mitigating measures involving
bats, vegetation and reptiles.
7. Natural Resources Wales conditions
relating to flood prevention
mitigating measures, lighting, drainage and
safeguarding protected species (bats).
8.
External materials with
samples
9.
Details of the hard surface areas
to be approved.
10. Withdrawal
of permitted development rights from the holiday accommodation.
11. Restrict the use of the units to holiday use only and
maintaining a register.
12. Convert the hotel to be open to the public before the first
nine holiday units are occupied.
13. Restrict the café’s
opening hours.
Supporting documents: