Pwyllgor Cynllunio Planning Committee Dyddiad: Date: 16/12/2013 Siambr Dafydd Orwig Chamber Caernarfon
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PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO DYDDIAD: SIAMBR DAFYDD ORWIG 16/12/2013 PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE : CHAMBER CAERNARFON EITEM CAIS RHIF CYMUNED LLEOLIAD ITEM APPLICATION COMMUNITY LOCATION NUMBER 1 C13/0710/23/LL Llanrug Tir yn / Land at Parc Uchaf, Llanrug, 2 C13/0405/21/LL Llanllechid Ogwen Bank Caravan Park & Country Club, Bethesda 3 C13/0545/11/LL Bangor H M Revenue & Customs, Ty Glyn, High Street, Bangor 4 C13/0561/39/LL Llanengan Tir Gyferbyn / Land Opposite - Anhywel, Lon Pont Morgan, Abersoch 5 C13/0640/45/CR Pwllheli Whitehall, Stryd Moch, Pwllheli 6 C13/0667/45/LL Pwllheli Whitehall, Stryd Moch, Pwllheli 7 C13/0658/26/LL Waunfawr Adeiladau Allanol - Outbuildings, Pen y Cefn, Caeathro 8 C13/0693/38/LL Llanbedrog Mountain View, Trem y Mynydd, Llanbedrog 9 C13/0723/11/LL Bangor Cyn safle/Former Jewson Site, Penlon Works, Stryd Fawr/High Street, Bangor 10 C13/0765/25/LL Pentir Ty Coch, Glasinfryn, Bangor 11 C13/1028/11/LL Bangor 20 Trem Elidir, Maes Tryfan, Bangor Number: 1 Number : 1 REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE REFER TO A COOLING OFF PERIOD DATE OF THE 16 December 2013 PLANNING COMMITTEE: DESCRIPTION AND Application No. C13/0710/23/LL – to erect two dwellings LOCATION OF and garages together with associated access, land at Parc APPLICATION: Uchaf, Llanrug. REPORT BY: Head of Regulatory Department RECOMMENDATION: To accept the recommendation, namely to refuse the application on the basis of the requirements of Policy CH1 and CH6 of the Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan together with the Supplementary Planning Guidance: Development Briefs and Planning Policy Wales, Chapter 9 “Housing” as the applicant has not proven beyond doubt that circumstances have changed and there is no further requirement for affordable housing in Llanrug, and as no evidence has been submitted to justify why the site cannot be developed for a higher density of housing. 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This application was reported to the Planning Committee on 04.11.13 and the intention of the Committee was to approve it, contrary to the recommendation and the grounds that there was no need for further affordable housing in Llanrug, and there was a need for these houses in order to satisfy the applicant’s special need. To this end, the Members were of the view that these considerations supported a lower building density on the site. In the opinion of the Head of Regulatory Department, this decision represented a significant risk to the Council and therefore the matter was referred to a cooling off period in line with the Committee’s standing orders. The purpose of reporting back to the Committee is to highlight the planning policy issues, the possible risks and the possible options for the Committee before it reaches a final decision on the application. 1.2 In response to the above, further enquiries were made on the basis of the need for affordable housing in Llanrug by contacting the Joint Planning Policy Unit and the Council’s Strategic and Improvement Service. Briefly, the information and evidence received is based on the following:- (i) The investigation of the latest information by the Land Registry and Salaries indicates that affordability continues to be an issue that requires attention in the Llanrug ward together with neighbouring wards (within the Caernarfon catchment area). (ii) Figures from a study conducted in 2012 reveal that the prices of houses sold in the Llanrug ward on average are approximately five times the average income of the ward and usually the affordability ratio is approximately 3.5 times the income average that is considered reasonable. It is also disclosed that approximately 57% of the households in the Llanrug ward have been priced out of the local housing market. (iii) The investigation of the ‘Rightmove’ website in November 2013 indicates that the prices of detached houses with three and four bedrooms in Llanrug and the area and within one mile are very high (varying from £178,000 - £332,000) and outside the ability of local families to buy. (iv) The Gwynedd Common Housing Register on 22.11.13 (needs of Llanrug and neighbouring communities) reveals that 93 applications were registered for two bedroom houses and 51 applications received for three bedroom housing. (v) Information included in the Tai Teg register indicates that 28 individuals have noted that Llanrug is their first choice for a house and from this figure 20 have noted that they need a three bedroom house with prices that would be affordable for them varying from £85,000-£100,000 (12), £105,000- £120,000 (7), £125,000-£140,000 (2) and two state £150,000 (it has to be noted that five applicants did not answer this part of the questionnaire). 1.3 The above figures undoubtedly confirm that it is necessary to provide more affordable housing in Llanrug and the neighbouring area and the current proposal does not contribute to satisfying this need. No robust evidence has been submitted with the application to confirm that there is no need for further affordable housing units in Llanrug or the neighbouring area. 1.4 In addition to the above, ‘intermediate’ housing is defined in planning terms as a specific type of affordable housing. Paragraph 5.1 of Technical Advice Note 2 ‘Planning and Affordable Housing’ states that affordable housing includes social rented housing and intermediate housing. Paragraph 5.2 states “Social rented housing is that provided by local authorities and registered social landlords. Intermediate housing is that where prices or rents are above those of social rent but below market housing prices or rents". In this case the applicant does not intend to provide an intermediate house but rather the intention is to provide two large houses on the open market which means that there is no planning mechanism to control occupancy or the prices of the houses initially, or in the future. 2. DESCRIPTION 2.1 The application is to construct two 2-storey houses with four bedrooms with the floor area of house 1 being 181.15m2 with the floor area of the second house being 175.56m2, together with the two garages at the rear of the houses with a floor area of 36m2 each. In comparison, the maximum floor area for a four bedroom affordable house as included in the Supplementary Planning Guidance: Affordable Housing is 120m2 with 20m2 for an attached garage. The application also entails the creation of a new access to the nearby class III county highway that will be shared by the occupants of the two houses. 2.2 The site is on a plot of land within the development boundary of Llanrug and which has been earmarked for residential development in the Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan (GUDP), in addition, a Development Brief (November 2009) has been prepared for the site. This site forms part of a larger site which has been earmarked for 12 houses in the Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan. According to the requirements of the Development Brief which has been prepared specifically for the site, it will be a requirement to develop this site in its entirety for a density of 30 units per hectare and this equates to constructing six residential units on the site which is the subject of this application. There are six other remaining units on the site which has already been designated and received approval in September 2013 for six dwellings with two of these being affordable dwellings. 2.3 As part of the planning application pack a planning statement was submitted supporting the application on the grounds of relevant local and national policies. Briefly, the statement notes:- (i) Approving this application for two substantial houses would contribute towards a mixture of housing for local people on this site, along with the adjacent site which has already received permission for six houses which are smaller in size (including two affordable houses). (ii) This proposal would not have an adverse impact or undermine the GUDP strategy as a considerable number of new houses (most of them small houses and affordable houses), have already been provided by the development of undesignated sites (sites which become available at random, e.g. the site of the former Ysgol Glanmoelyn) and on sites which have been designated such as Parc Isaf and Pencae. To date, a total of 52 houses have been completed during the period of the GUDP (2001-2016). (iii) In addition to the above figure, there are several unexpected random sites in the village including a site for 10 two bedroom houses on the site of Cae’r Eglwys in the centre of the village, but is yet to be commenced. (iv) The proposal to reduce the number of houses on this site from six to two will not undermine the five year land supply for housing. Based on a recently published study, the loss of four houses would not reduce the supply below that of five years. Apart from this, the loss of four houses would not be material considering the total number of units needed within the five years, namely 2,200 residential units. At worst the application if approved would mean a reduction in the supply of 0.2% only. (v) The number of houses for sale in the village is comparatively low compared with the size of the village. (vi) Approving the application would mean supporting sustainable communities along with improving the choice of different types of houses in the village for the local population. 2.4 Information was submitted by the applicant that refers to the special needs of a child of the prospective occupiers of one of the proposed houses. The information was in the form of supporting letters from officers of the Council’s Integrated Disabled Children’s Team together with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, the child’s GP, Tŷ Gobaith Children’s Hospice and the Vice-president of Mencap Wales.