To extend the caravan
park's holiday season from 8 to 12 months to be open
throughout the year for holiday use
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Gareth Williams
Decision:
To approve
Conditions:
1. Holiday
use and a register to be kept.
Minutes:
To extend the
caravan park's holiday season from 8 to 12 months to
be open throughout the year for holiday use
Attention was drawn to the late observations form.
a) The
Senior Development Control Manager elaborated on the application's background,
and noted that this was an application to extend the occupancy period on the
static caravan holiday site so that there was a 12 month holiday season. It was reported that there was planning permission for 40
static caravans on the land and the existing permission restricted the
occupancy of the caravans to between 1 March and 31 October in any year.
It was highlighted
that a Design and Access Assessment had been submitted to explain the
application's background and in response to the call by the existing caravan
owners to remain on the site over Christmas, New Year and February half
term. It was added
that extending the holiday season was also a means to upgrade the site.
Reference was made to policy TWR 4 that supported proposals to extend
the holiday season of existing static caravan and chalet sites provided it
could be demonstrated that the accommodation was being used exclusively for
holiday purposes and did not become the occupant’s main or sole place of
residence. It should
also be ensured that the accommodation was suitable for occupation
during the winter, that the extended season would not increase the consequences
of an extreme flooding event and would not have a detrimental impact on the
local environment.
It was considered that the application, with appropriate
conditions to ensure that the static caravans were used for holiday purposes
only and to maintain a register, was acceptable on policy grounds.
b) Taking
advantage of the right to speak, the applicant noted the following points:
·
That all the static caravans were in private ownership
and some of the 'plots' had been in the occupancy of the same family since the
1970s.
·
It was proposed to extend the
season for the 40 static caravans to be open throughout the year for holiday
purposes only. The application was in response to customers' requests to use
the caravan for shorter periods throughout the year.
·
Extending the season would improve the standard of
tourist accommodation facilities
·
In response to the concern regarding the pressure on
the Local Health Service, the contract with the occupiers confirmed 2
conditions that would get to grips with the problem
i. The
caravans were for holiday use only. Our owners cannot live permanently on the
site. As part of the annual contract,
the owner had to provide proof of their main address,
as a result of this the owners had been registered with their appropriate local
health service.
ii. The
caravan site had already adopted an owners only park
model; it meant that all the static caravans were in private ownership and as
part of the agreement only the owners and their close families could use the
caravan. This meant that less use was
made of the caravans than if they operated as a mixed caravan site where
caravans are let.
·
It was known as a quiet,
family caravan site. Their customers came here on holiday for peace and
tranquillity
·
Lighting fireworks was against the rules of the
caravan site. The caravan site was located on a livestock farm with most of the
caravanners owning a dog
·
There would be no physical development on the site
that may be a threat to the habitat of bats or any animals or similar
wildlife
·
That the road to the site was maintained
·
A bilingual policy had been adopted
for the Park with a willingness to use the Welsh language at all times. The
'residents only' sign was a temporary sign as a result
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
c) The
Chair read the Local Member's written observations:
·
The applicants did not request permission to add more
caravans to the 40 they already have on the land.
·
The application had
been opposed by Cyngor Cymuned Botwnnog
due to the circumstances with Covid. They feel that the Local Health Service is
already under strain and accepting more people from outside the area into the Botwnnog area would place more pressure on the service.
·
As a Councillor for the Botwnnog
Ward, I am very eager to support the planning application.
·
I feel the Members of Cyngor Cymuned
Botwnnog are worrying unnecessarily. Under current circumstances
all the caravan sites in Pen Llŷn are closed.
The fact that this caravan site could be open for an additional four months and
would place more strain on the surgery would not exist at all due to covid.
·
The man reason for supporting the application was the
fact that the owners of the site were a Welsh speaking
family who had been born and brought up in Botwnnog. It was a pleasure to see local people
succeeding.
·
I have always lived in the Botwnnog
area - I have come to know many of the caravan owners at Gelliwig. Many of them are Welsh speakers or with
relations in Pen Llŷn. I often see them shopping
locally, socialising regularly at the Tŷ Newydd Sarn public house and
supporting local businesses and the economy rather than carrying their
provisions here from towns.
·
It was pleasing to see the children coming into the
village to play with the little children in Botwnnog.
·
One major problem in Pen Llŷn
is the fact that local young people cannot buy the houses that are on the
market as their wages are not high enough.
I much prefer to see happy caravanners in the Botwnnog area - people that are not interested in buying
our scarce houses!
·
If the application is successful, we wish to see a
condition that the caravanners have no right at all
to identify their caravan as their main residence - this would be totally unacceptable as they could live here all the time
and certainly then there would be a strain on the surgery. Neither would they pay Council tax.
·
I see no reason for not supporting and approving this
application and I wish them every success in their application
ch) It was proposed and seconded to approve
the application
d)
During the ensuing discussion, the following
observations were made by members:
·
This was a caravan park that was managed
responsibly
· The
caravan site was now part of the landscape
· Welcomed
the applicant's measure for caravan owners / visitors to submit evidence that
they had registered with a doctor at their main address - this was a
consideration for every caravan site to adopt
· It
would be difficult to justify refusal - TWR4 supported such applications
dd) In response to a
question regarding the requirements of the Supplementary Planning Guidance:
Holiday Accommodation (2011) to use relevant conditions to ensure use
(maintaining a register) and to the suggestion that Council officers needed to
visit the site to look at the register, it was noted that the requirement to
maintain a register was an enforcement tool that gave permission to investigate
use. In response to a further comment
that the applicant could be asked to send a copy of the register to Council
officers, it was noted that this was possible,
however, the usual process was to maintain a register on the premises. The
Solicitor added that the process was in accordance with the Council's
enforcement policy.
A comment was made although in support of the application, that there
was a need to review the principle of allowing extensions to the holiday season
for static caravan sites. It was considered that the system was a burden on services and
local resources.
In response to a
question regarding the rationale for submitting the application to committee
bearing in mind that there was no basis to refuse the application, it was noted
that policy TWR4 supported proposals to extend the holiday season for
established sites and it would be difficult to present evidence that would
justify refusal. In accordance with the Gwynedd Planning Delegation Scheme 'any
planning application for developments on a site that is 0.5 hectares or more in
size' will be submitted to the Planning Committee for
determination.
RESOLVED:
To approve the application
Conditions:
1. Holiday use and a register to be maintained.
Supporting documents: