Agenda item

Application No C22/0874/16/LL Plot C5, Parc Bryn Cegin, Llandygai, Bangor, LL57 4LD

Meeting of Planning Committee, Monday, 19th December, 2022 1.00 pm (Item 5.)

Erection of a building to be used as a builders' merchant (sui generis use) and associated yard structures, loading areas, car parking, landscaping proposals together with associated works.

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Dafydd Meurig

Link to relevant background documents

Decision:

DECISION:

To approve the application subject to material planning conditions involving:

1. Time

2. Compliance with the plans

3. The development shall be implemented in accordance with the ecological report

4. Landscaping conditions

5. Opening hours

6. Ensure Welsh / Bilingual signs

Notes

1. Welsh Water

2. Land Drainage Unit

Minutes:

Construction of a building to be used as a builders’ merchant (sui generis use) and associated yard structures, loading areas, car park, landscaping proposals together with associated work.

Attention was drawn to the late observations form.

a) The Planning Manager highlighted that this was a full application to construct a building to be used by a builders' merchant (sui generis use) on the Bryn Cegin Strategic Regional Business Site which was approximately 1km to the south of the development boundary of the Bangor Sub-regional Centre, as defined by the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan (LDP).

The building's ground floor would include a retail area, trade counter, office, toilets, staff room/canteen and warehouse with a covered entrance to provide customer access.

The application was submitted to committee as it is defined as a major development due to its floor surface area.

It was reported that the 'builders' merchant' use was a unique use which did not fall under any specific class use and therefore the application was not entirely in line with policy CYF1. Policy CYF 5 was considered, which permitted land safeguarded for B1, B2 and B8 uses in special cases to be released for alternative uses. Although a builders' merchant was a unique use, it was also an appropriate use that could be expected on a business/industrial estate. It was noted that the site was vacant with plenty of opportunities for other B1, B2 and B8 businesses to develop on the site.

Due to the importance of the scheme in securing the development of an initial business on a strategically important site that had been empty for many years, it was considered that there was exceptional justification to grant the proposed development on the designated employment site in accordance with Policies PS13, CYF 1 and CYF 5 of the LDP.

In the context of general and residential amenities, the concerns of the Public Protection Service regarding noise disturbance that may arise from the site causing a nuisance for local residents were acknowledged. In response, a further explanation was provided by the applicant regarding the nature of the site's use. It was reiterated, that it had to be recognised that this was a designated industrial site and the site could be used for a much more intensive and noisy industrial use. By adhering to the opening hours and in considering the background noise and busy nature of the nearby roads and the proximity of the existing Llandygai industrial estate, it was not believed that this business was likely to create an additional significant detrimental impact. (It was noted there were regulations outside the planning field to manage noise that caused a consistent nuisance to local residents.)

In terms of transportation matters, and in light of receiving an amended site plan, the Transportation Unit did not have any objection to the plan and the development would use the road network designed for the industrial estate to accommodate transportation levels.

In terms of linguistic matters, it was considered, as the development offered an opportunity to retain existing jobs and create new suitable jobs for local people, offering them an opportunity to stay in their community, that the development could be positive for the situation of the Welsh language locally and the application was therefore consistent with the aims of policy PS 1.

It was not considered that the proposal was contrary to any material planning policy within the LDP and the proposed development was appropriate for the site and was likely to be of strategic importance to the county as a starting point for business developments on the site. It was not considered that the proposal was likely to cause any unacceptable detrimental impact to nearby residents or the community in general.

b) Taking advantage of the right to speak, the applicant’s agent noted the following observations:

· That the application to develop a plot on the Parc Bryn Cegin site in Bangor by constructing a building to be used as a builders' merchant was made by the local company, Huws Gray.

· That the company had expanded over recent years and was now one of the largest independent builders' merchants in Britain with their headquarters in Llangefni.

· They had an existing site in Bangor, on the Llandygai Industrial Estate but the proposal would see Huws Gray relocate to Parc Bryn Cegin - the current site did not allow space to enable expansion.

· The unit would provide additional surface area; an additional 3 full-time jobs would be created in addition to the existing staff (17 of them) moving to the new site.

· That the staff employed in Bangor by Huws Gray were all local people and most of them spoke Welsh. It was expected that the additional jobs that would be created would be filled by local people, including Welsh-speakers. Needed to ensure that the required skills were available locally.

· That the application site, and the vast part of Parc Bryn Cegin, had been empty for some time despite outline permission being granted in 2005 to develop the Park; that this highlighted there had been no substantial demand for B1, B2 and B8 class use over the years, and unless some type of development took place on the site to encourage the Park's development, it was possible that its fate would be to lie empty for years to come.

· The officer's assessment confirmed that the proposal could be supported in principle under policy CYF 5.

c) It was proposed and seconded to approve the application in accordance with the recommendation.

d) During the ensuing discussion, the following observations were made by Members:

· Welcomed the proposal to relocate

· Supported business that brought jobs to the area

RESOLVED: To approve the application subject to material planning conditions involving: