Agenda item

Application for siting of a food truck with public toilet facilities and picnic benches.  Retention of hardstanding for car parking and access track. The erection of 20 allotment sheds. 

 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Meryl Roberts

 

Link to relevant background documents

DECISION: To approve in accordance with the following conditions:

 

1 - Time

2 - In accordance with the plans

3 - Contaminated land conditions

4 - Biodiversity conditions, including ensuring enhancements

5 - Food truck only to be located on the site when it is in use

6 - Restriction of food truck hours to 8-7 every day

7 - Agreement on the details of waste management for the food truck

8 - Welsh Signs

 

Application to locate a food truck with public toilet facilities and picnic areas. Retention of hardstanding for car parking and an access route. Construction of 20 allotment sheds.

 

.a)         The Planning Manager highlighted that this was an application to erect 20 garden sheds for allotments, the placement of a food truck with public toilet facilities and picnic areas, the retention of a hardstanding pitch for car parking and the facilitation of vehicular access. ⁠ ⁠ Although the sheds required planning permission, planning permission was no longer required for the creation of allotments.

 

The principle of the proposal was considered acceptable in terms of policy ISA 2 as the site borders the Penrhyndeudraeth development boundary and the development was easily accessible by foot, bicycle and public transport. It was reiterated that the principle was acceptable given policy MAN 6 which supports small-scale retail development in the countryside and policy MAN 7 which applies to hot food take-away uses.

 

While acknowledging that there would be some visual impact, it was not considered that having sheds on allotments would be unexpected and due to its size and location along with natural vegetation around the site, it was not considered that the proposal would be detrimental to the appearance of the site or impair the visual amenities of the area.

 

It was noted that the design of the toilet was in line with the sheds and allowed accessible access; The quality of the appearance could be ensured by setting conditions to ensure that the colour of the sheds and toilet matched each other.

 

Although the site was located in a sustainable location with a pavement serving the site, it was accepted that users of the allotments will need to use a vehicle at times to transport goods and gardening equipment, but when weighing-up any visual effects, and the fact that land use as an allotment was a permitted development, it was considered that some minor visual impact would result from the car park rather than vehicles parked on the pavement and creating road safety issues. As a result, the parking and access arrangements were considered acceptable.

 

In the context of the installation of a food truck, which was a vehicle rather than a building, it was considered that it would be seen in the context of other vehicles parked on site. To limit the visual impact, it would be appropriate to impose a condition to ensure that the truck was placed on the site only when in use and that it would need to be removed from the site each night.

 

When considering residential amenities, it was explained that the site was located in an area on the outskirts of the town, with residential housing nearby, and the nearest house was approximately 20m away from the allotments. Given the nature of the allotment use, it was unlikely that the proposed installation of sheds would affect any residential amenities. It was reiterated that there were other miscellaneous uses nearby such as a railway station and industrial/commercial units and therefore the area was not considered as a purely residential one.

 

The concerns received in response to the consultation period were highlighted, and it was not considered that the development would attract anti-social behaviour to the site as it was a fairly open site with natural surveillance due to its location near the nearby public road. However, it was accepted that issues relating to the food truck may have an impact on residential amenities due to noise and odours and therefore in response, the truck will be located near the car park which was approximately 150m away from the nearest residential house – this would mitigate most of the impacts. It was reiterated that it would be appropriate to impose a condition to limit the opening hours along with a condition to agree on a waste management plan to ensure effective pest eradication, protection of the environment and the area's appearance.

 

In the context of flood issues and given that the site was in a flood zone, NRW had no objection to the proposal and it was confirmed that it was in compliance with TAN 15. NRW had nevertheless expressed concern that the land was contaminated given the historic use of the nearby Cookes works, but by imposing conditions to carry out a detailed land survey, it was considered that, in accordance with the requirements of policy PCYFF 2, the proposal would require ensuring health and safety protection.

 

The officers recommended approving the application

 

.b)     Taking advantage of the right to speak, the Local Member noted the following comments.

·        She was supportive of the application

·        That the proposal responded to the need

·        That the proposal was good for the community

·        The area would be respected

 

.c)     It was proposed and seconded to approve the application

 

RESOLVED To approve subject to the following conditions:

 

1 - Time

2 - In accordance with the plans

3 - Contaminated land conditions

4 – Biodiversity conditions, including ensuring enhancements

5 – Food truck only to be located on the site when it is in use

6 - Restriction of food truck hours to 8-7 every day

7 - Agreement on the details of waste management for the food truck

8 - Welsh Signs