Agenda item

Erection of residential dwelling houses including access 

 

LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Elin Hywel

 

Link to relevant background documents

 

DECISION: To approve the application subject to the following conditions:

 

1.     The time in terms of the commencement of the development

2.     The time in terms of submitting the reserved matters application

3.     Submission of a reserved matters application for the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping 

4.     In accordance with the plans

5.     Slates on the roof

6.     Materials 

7.     C3 use for all housing 

8.     Welsh name for the housing estate and houses

9.     Welsh and / or bilingual signs

10.  Submission and agreement of a Construction Environmental Management Plan

11.  Construction work hours 

12.  Internal noise levels

13.  External noise levels

14.  In accordance with the Noise Impact Report 

15.  Details of air source heat pumps including noise levels and any necessary mitigation measures Highways conditions regarding the completion of the estate road and pavements together with street lighting 

16.  Complete road improvements agreed on application C22/0969/45/LL 

17.  Highways conditions in terms of completing the road work and pavements of the estate together with the street lighting

18.  Parking

19.  Prevention of surface water from discharging onto the highway

20.  In accordance with the Ecological Survey Report

21.  External lighting plan 

22.  Submission and agreement of details for the meadow / wet meadow

23.  Submission and agreement of a management plan for woodland that forms part of the Candidate Wildlife Site

24.  Condition to complete landscaping work as agreed in the landscaping details. 

25.  In accordance with the Arboriculture Report

26.  Welsh Water condition to undertake a hydraulic modelling assessment prior to the commencement of the development

27.  No surface water / land drainage to connect with the public sewer.

28.  Archaeological conditions

29.  Condition to submit and agree on details to provide 4 affordable homes.

30.  Removal of permitted rights on the affordable homes in terms of extensions, outbuildings etc.

31.  Agree and provide details of how open space is intended to be provided as part of the development.

 

Notes:

Major Development Note

SuDS note

Refer to Welsh Water and the Fire Service comments

Ordinary Watercourse Consent

 

Application for the construction of residential dwelling houses including access 

 

Attention was drawn to the late observations form. 

 

a)     The Planning Manager highlighted that this was an outline application to erect 12 residential dwellings in Pwllheli on a plot of land between Glan y Don garage and Aldi supermarket. ⁠  

Like the previous application, (6.1 Application Number C23/0673/45/AM) the decision of the Planning Committee at the end of March 2025 had been to refuse the application contrary to officers' recommendation due to a lack of affordable housing, lack of information about the housing mix/balance and the harmful impact on the Welsh language. In accordance with the instruction of the Assistant Head of Environment Department, as there was a significant risk to the Council in respect of the intention to refuse the application contrary to the recommendation, the application was referred to a cooling off period. ⁠By now, the application had been amended to include 30% of affordable housing within the development and therefore the application was being re-submitted to the Committee for further consideration based on these changes. 

 

It was highlighted, although detailed plans and landscaping did not form part of the application, that there was a need to consider the principle of the proposal, as well as the access details. It was noted, should the application be approved, the applicant would need to submit another application to agree on the reserved matters. 

 

In the context of the principle of the development, it was expressed that developing houses on the site was acceptable as the land was within the development boundary of Pwllheli and had been earmarked for residential development within the LDP. It was considered that the proposed development density was acceptable given the levels of the site, but there was a need to protect biodiversity and provide a sustainable drainage system and an open play area. 

 

As noted above, from the perspective of Pwllheli housing figures, the proposal was acceptable due to the designation of the site for houses where there was an expectation of 150 new houses, although accepting that 150 would not be possible due to the physical constraints of the site and the presence of the Aldi supermarket. Attention was drawn to Policy TAI 15 which required an affordable housing contribution on residential developments of two or more units. A contribution of 30% was required for Pwllheli and the provision was now being proposed – 30% for this development was equivalent to 3.6 units and in accordance with the Supplementary Planning Guidance – Affordable Housing, this would mean providing 4 affordable units. 

 

The applicant stated that it was hoped that a RSL and / or a housing developer/builder would be involved in the development by the time a reserved matters application was submitted and that this could offer a way forward in providing affordable housing through the possible support of a development grant from the Welsh Government. Those types of grants would give viability matters in the development of the site a better chance of being supported, compared to the support that would be available to a private sector developer. It must also be remembered that planning permission lasts for 5 years and the situation could change significantly within that time. As the proposal was now for the provision of 30% affordable housing, the proposal was considered acceptable in relation to Policy TAI 15 of the LDP. 

 

It was highlighted that  a set of conditions was planned to ensure that all the units were dwelling houses to be used as sole or primary residences, namely C3 use. It was elaborated, whilst realising either way that there was no guarantee that the houses would be occupied by Welsh families, the fact that they would be permanent housing would mean that families occupying them would be integrated into the local community with the children attending local schools which provided education through the medium of Welsh. It was acknowledged that there was sufficient capacity within local schools to cope with additional children that would live in the houses. 

 

Reference was made to the Welsh Language Statement which noted that there would be a Welsh name for the houses and there was an intention to use bilingual signs and advertising (this could be conditioned). 

 

In the context of visual impact, it was noted that the site was in a dip and therefore it was considered that the visual impact would only be locally, and it would be unlikely to have an impact on the wider landscape. In addition, the proposal would infill a piece of land between existing businesses within an area where there were various uses, with housing also found in the vicinity. It was not considered, therefore, that dwelling-houses would look out of place in this location.  

 

In the context of residential amenities, due to the location of the site in relation to other houses in the area, as well as the land levels, it was unlikely that the development would impact residential amenities, but reference was made to the impact of other developments, as well as the impact of the road on the occupiers of the new houses in terms of noise and disturbance. It was elaborated that a noise assessment had been submitted as part of the application and the Public Protection Unit was happy to impose conditions to protect the amenities of the houses' residents. 

 

It was elaborated that conditions could be imposed to ensure a safe access, archaeological investigations, biodiversity improvement and mitigation measures and a land drainage plan. 

 

The officers recommended to approve the application with conditions.  

 

b)      Taking advantage of the right to speak, the Local Member made the following observations 

·        This outline application opened the door to a housing development locally 

·        There was a need to ensure that the development responded to the local need 

·        There was a need to ensure that the small space available for construction provided the right type of housing 

·        Encouraged the Committee to support this outline application, and yet, keep an eye out for the full application to ensure that it responded to the need – the right price, affordable rent, social housing, size, number of bedrooms and that the local / community data was correct. 

 

 

c)     It was proposed and seconded to approve the application  

 

RESOLVED: To approve the application subject to conditions. 

 

To approve the application subject to the following conditions: 

 

1.              The time in terms of the commencement of the development  

2.              The time in terms of submitting the reserved matters application  

3.              Submission of a reserved matters application for the layout, scale, appearance and landscaping.   

4.              In accordance with the plans  

5.              Slates on the roof  

6.              Materials   

7.              C3 use for all housing   

8.              Welsh name for the housing estate and houses.  

9.              Welsh and / or bilingual signs  

10.            Submission and agreement of a Construction Environmental Management Plan  

11.            Construction work hours   

12.            Internal noise levels 

13.            External noise levels  

14.            In accordance with the Noise Impact Report   

15.            Details of air source heat pumps including noise levels and any necessary mitigation measures. Highways conditions regarding the completion of the estate road and pavements together with street lighting   

16.            Complete road improvements agreed on application C22/0969/45/LL   

17.            Highways conditions with regard to completing the estate road and pavements together with the street lighting.  

18.            Parking  

19.            Prevention of surface water from discharging onto the highway  

20.            In accordance with the Ecological Survey Report.  

21.            External lighting scheme   

22.            Submission and agreement of details for the meadow / wet meadow  

23.            Submission and agreement of a management plan for the woodland that forms part of the Candidate Wildlife Site.  

24.           A condition to complete landscaping work as agreed in the landscaping details.   

25.            In accordance with the Arboriculture Report  

26.            Welsh Water condition to undertake a hydraulic modelling assessment prior to the commencement of the development  

27.            No surface water / land drainage to connect with the public sewer.  

28.            Archaeological conditions  

29.            A condition to submit and agree on details to provide 4 affordable homes.  

30.            Removal of permitted development rights on the affordable homes in respect of extensions, outbuildings etc.  

31.            Agree and provide details of how open space is intended to be provided as part of the development. 

 

Notes: 

⁠Major Development Note 

SuDS note 

Refer to Dŵr Cymru and the Fire Service’s comments 

Ordinary Watercourse Consent