Agenda item

Full Application for the erection of a new workshop/office building, a workshop/welding building, and a vehicle wash unit together with a private fuel storage tank and other ancillary spaces

 

Local Member: Councillor Dewi Jones

 

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve

 

1.         5 years

2.         In accordance with the plans and documents submitted as part of the application

3.         Colour of finish to be agreed

4.         PV panel details to be agreed

5.         Carry out landscaping in accordance with the plan contained within the LVIA (Landscape Visual Impact Assessment)

6.         The Biodiversity improvements must be completed in accordance with the contents of section 4 of the ecological report

7.         Welsh Name

8.         Welsh Signs

9.         Condition for discovery of unidentified pollutants

10.       Welsh Water conditions

11.       The equipment/material to be stored in the external storage area to be no higher than 4m.

 

Notes:

Nature Conservation

SUDS

Major applications

Welsh Water Letter

Natural Resources Wales Letter

 

Full application for the erection of a new workshop/office building, a workshop/welding building and a vehicle wash unit together with a private fuel storage tank and other ancillary spaces

 

a)    The Development Control Team Leader highlighted that this was a full application with the intention to include the following elements: ⁠⁠

·         Workshop and Office Building

·         Workshop and Welding Unit 

·         Vehicle Wash Unit

·         External Storage Area

·         15 HGV parking spaces

·         40 parking spaces including 3 disabled and 8 EV charging points.

·         Bike storage area

 

It was reported that the site was located on Lôn Cae Darbi (unclassified road) on the eastern periphery of Cibyn Industrial Estate and within the Caernarfon development boundary and designated employment site. It was reiterated that the site had been used as an abattoir until recently and the buildings had by now been demolished under advance notice C22/0431/14/HD. It was noted that rubble waste and skips remained on the site following demolition and the vegetation around the site had been cut or removed. The proposal meant erecting buildings as well as using them to service and repair commercial vehicles.

 

In the context of visual amenities, it was acknowledged that the proposal meant constructing substantial buildings on the site, that was now visible from the Caernarfon bypass.⁠ ⁠It was also acknowledged that the site was located within an existing Industrial Estate and formed part of a designation for safeguarding B1, B2 and B8 employment uses. The buildings associated with the employment uses would be substantial in terms of their nature and the cross-section plans confirmed that the proposal in question would cause a similar visual impact to that which previously existed on the site. It was reiterated that the proposal provided an external storage area on the site, and the height of what would be stored here could be restricted to 4m by means of a Planning condition; most of the trees and hedges that surrounded the site had been felled but it was proposed to landscape the site to compensate for the loss of this vegetation.

 

In the context of general and residential amenities, it was noted that the site was located at least 170m away from any residential property, with the nearest houses either located on the Industrial Estate, or on the opposite side of the bypass which ran past the outskirts of the site. On this basis, and that the site was located on an existing Industrial Estate, adjacent to other existing industrial units, it was not considered that the proposal was likely to have a significantly detrimental impact on any nearby residents.

 

It was reported, in addition to the servicing and repairing commercial vehicles use, that it was proposed to provide 15 HGV parking spaces, 40 general parking spaces (including three disabled and eight EV charging points) and a bike storage area. It was highlighted that a Construction Traffic Management and Environmental Management Plan had been submitted as part of the application that showed that it was proposed to use the site's existing accesses and an HGV turning cycle within the site. The Transportation Unit and the Welsh Government’s Transportation Department confirmed that they had no objection and therefore complied with the requirements of policies TRA 2 and TRA 4.

 

In the context of biodiversity matters, it was noted that biodiversity improvements such as creating habitats through planting and installing nesting boxes and bat boxes on the site had been proposed as part of the ecological report. Although a green infrastructure statement was not formally submitted as part of the application, it was considered possible to assess the proposal and confirm that it complied with the requirements of policy PS19 of the LDP and the updated chapter six of Planning Policy Wales.

 

It was reported that a Language Statement had been submitted as part of the application, and it stated that the proposal would likely have a positive impact on the Welsh Language. As the proposal was to provide business on a site that was located within an existing Industrial Estate, the Language statement confirmed the business' existing commitment to the Language and that it was proposed to tie the site to that commitment; there was no evidence to show that the development would cause harm to the language and by imposing conditions, it was considered that the proposal was in accordance with policy PS1.

 

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 likely to be beneficial to the local economy. Having taken all material planning considerations into account, it was not considered likely that the proposal would cause unacceptable adverse effects to nearby residents or the community in general and the Planning Authority recommended approving the application with conditions.

 

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

·         That this was an application to construct a building to repair commercial vehicles

·         There was an intention to create 23 jobs that would include 15 mechanics

·         The company would collaborate with local colleges to establish apprenticeships

·         That pre-application advice had been received

·         That the application was acceptable - the building was better than the previous building

 

c)      It was proposed and seconded to approve the application - the plan was too good to lose.

 

RESOLVED: To approve

 

1.            5 years

2.            In accordance with the plans and documents submitted as part of the application

3.            Colour of finish to be agreed

4.            PV panel details to be agreed

5.            Carry out landscaping in accordance with the plan contained within the LVIA (Landscape Visual Impact Assessment)

6.            Biodiversity improvements must be completed in accordance with the contents of section 4 of the ecological report

7.            Welsh Name

8.            Welsh Signs

9.            Condition for discovery of unidentified pollutants

10.          Welsh Water Conditions

11.          Equipment/material to be stored in the external storage area to be no higher than 4m.

 

Notes:

Nature Conservation

SUDS

Major applications

Welsh Water Letter

Natural Resources Wales Letter