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a 30.5m hub height (48.01m to tip of blade) control box and associated work (resubmission of application previously withdrawn).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associated works (resubmission of application previously withdrawn).
Members of the Committee had visited the
site before the meeting.
(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 boundary of the
Snowdonia National Park was located approximately 750m to the west with the Bala and Tegid Shores Landscape of Special Historic
Interest located approximately 2km to the right of the site, and a wide area of
Open Access Land designated under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act (2005)
was located within 300m to the east of the site. Attention was drawn to the
fact that the land was improved agricultural grazing land with electricity
pylons located approximately 450 metres to the south of the site and there were
panoramic views of the mountains around this site.
Reference was
made to the relevant policies together with the public consultations within the report.
Reference was
made to the additional observations submitted to the Committee.
Attention was
drawn to the fact that an Anglesey, Gwynedd and Snowdonia National Park
Sensitivity and Capacity Assessment by the Gillespies
company confirmed that the application
site was within the G12 Area of Llandderfel and
described the landscape of the
area in general as one of medium scale, which had a rural and undulating
landscape, which had medium to high sensitivity to wind energy developments.
The policy presumed against
developments that caused significant visual intrusion and were sited
insensitively and unsympathetically within the landscape. 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. It was considered that a turbine at this proposed
location would impact on the landscape, would draw attention away from the
Park, and would impact on the designation of internationally important
land.
Due to the nature of such
developments, it was very difficult to integrate them with the landscape and,
therefore, when considering such applications, their visual impact, the status
of the landscape, the economic benefits and the national aim of promoting developments that generate renewable
energy must be taken into account.
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. The planning officers’ recommendation was to refuse the
application in accordance with the reason outlined in the report.
(b)
The
local member (a member of this Planning Committee) made the following main
points:
·
That the application was a re-submission and
that the applicant had wasted several months as officers continued to object to
the application.
·
The development did not affect the
landscape.
·
In terms of the break to the skyline, it was
noted that approximately two rows of pylons ran through National Park territory
which was nearly the same size as the proposed turbine but these were not
visible as one would get accustomed to them.
·
A young family that had begun farming had
submitted the application.
·
The Community Council supported the application.
·
Should the turbine be painted in grey, it was
felt that it would naturally blend in with the buildings, pylons etc.
·
Only two objections had been submitted namely by
an Officer from the National Park and Friends of the Park.
·
Natural Resources Wales did not object to the
application and officers had noted in an earlier application that the
observations of Natural Resources Wales were of substantial importance.
·
An appeal was made for the Committee to support
the application.
(c) Given
the above observations, the Senior Planning Service Manager emphasised that
unlike the pylons this was a moving structure and not acceptable in terms of
visual impact.
The
recommendation to refuse the application was proposed and seconded.
(ch) A Member
noted his support to the application as the development was an opportunity for
a young family to be able to increase their income. Following the site visit,
the Member was not of the opinion that the proposed development would be
obtrusive and that he would be very disappointed if the application was
refused.
RESOLVED: To refuse the application as it is
considered that the alien nature and scale of the turbine together with the
insensitive and incompatible location within the landscape would be a
significant visual intrusion in the surrounding landscape and would have a
detrimental impact on prominent and panoramic views by the public into, out of
and across the surrounding landscape which includes Snowdonia National Park and
open countryside and would therefore be harmful to the features and special
character of Snowdonia National Park contrary to Policies B14 and C26 and
Strategic Policies 2 and 9 of the Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan (2009),
Supplementary Planning Guidance: Onshore Wind Energy (2014), Planning Policy
Wales (Edition 7, July 2014) and Technical Advice Note (TAN) 8: Renewable
Energy (2005).
Supporting documents: