Pwyllgor Cynllunio 26/09/2011 Planning Committee Date
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PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE: 26/09/2011 HEAD OF REGULATORY REPORT CAERNARFON (PLANNING, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC PROTECTION) DYDDIAD: PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO 26/09/2011 PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE : EITEM CAIS RHIF CYMUNED LLEOLIAD ITEM APPLICATION COMMUNITY LOCATION NUMBER 1 C02D/0515/44/LL Porthmadog Tyddyn Adi Caravan & Tenting Park, Morfa Bychan, Porthmadog 2 C09A/0410/11/LL Bangor Dickies Boatyard, Ffordd Garth / Garth Road, Bangor 3 C09A/0411/14/LL Caernarfon Llain O Dir Cyfagos / Land Adjacent To, Tyddyn Pandy, Ffordd Llanbeblig / Llanbeblig Road, Caernarfon 4 C09A/0518/16/AM Llandygai Tir Ger / Land Near Pentwmpath, Llandygai, Bangor 5 C10A/0506/15/AM Llanberis Tir Ger / Land Near, Ty Du Road, Llanberis, Caernarfon, 6 C11/0089/39/LL Llanengan Llwyn Du, Lon Sarn Bach, Abersoch 7 C11/0281/20/LL Y Felinheli Hotel Plas Dinorwic, Ffordd Siabod, Y Felinheli 8 C11/0304/18/LL Llanddeiniolen 63-81, Caeau Gleision, Rhiwlas, Bangor 9 C11/0382/30/LL Aberdaron Maes Gwyn, Bodferin, Rhoshirwaen 10 C11/0546/11/LL Bangor Tir Ger / Land By, Ffordd Caergybi / Holyhead Road, Bangor 11 C11/0566/35/LL Criccieth Ty'n Rhos, Criccieth, 12 C11/0699/23/LL Llanrug Brynteg Holiday Home Park Ltd, Llanrug, Caernarfon 13 C11/0666/23/LL Llanrug Seiont Riverside Camping, Pontrug, Caernarfon PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE: 26/09/2011 HEAD OF REGULATORY REPORT CAERNARFON (PLANNING, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC PROTECTION) Number 1 PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE: 26/09/2011 HEAD OF REGULATORY REPORT CAERNARFON (PLANNING, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC PROTECTION) Application Number: C02D/0515/44/LL Date Registered: 14/10/2002 Application Type: Full - Planning Community: Porthmadog Ward: Porthmadog – West Proposal: SITING OF ADDITIONAL 40 TOURING CARAVANS ON TENTING AND TOURING CARAVAN SITE. Location: TYDDYN ADI CARAVAN & TENTING PARK, MORFA BYCHAN, PORTHMADOG, GWYNEDD, LL49 9YW Summary of the TO REFUSE Recommendation: Description: It is proposed to site 40 additional touring caravans on an existing tenting and touring caravan site which lies within the Landscape Conservation Area and to the north of the Morfa Bychan golf course. It is proposed to site eight units to the north west of existing hard standing plots and the remainder will be sited near the shower and toilet block to the south west. The vehicular access to the site goes past a housing estate off the third class county road which runs through the village. There are no dwellings abutting the existing site; however, the site is visible from public footpaths in the area and which run across the land which is the subject of the application. Relevant Policies: Section 38(6) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 and paragraph 2.1.2 of Planning Policy Wales emphasise that planning decisions should be in accordance with the Development Plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Planning considerations include National Planning Policy and the Unitary Development Plan. Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan 2009: B10 – Protecting and enhancing Landscape Conservation Areas by ensuring that proposals conform to a series of criteria aimed at avoiding significant damage to recognised features. CH33 – Development proposals will be approved if they comply with specific criteria involving the vehicular access, the quality of the existing roads network and traffic calming measures. D20 – Proposals for increasing the number of pitches, extensions to sites, relocation or exchange of sites will be approved if the proposal includes a plan to ensure environmental and visual improvements, and meets other criteria regarding the impact of the development on the local area. National Policies: Planning Policy Wales (Fourth edition, February 2011) Paragraph 11.3.1 - In determining planning applications for tourist developments, local planning authorities need to consider the impact of the proposals on the environment and the local community. Technical Advice Note 13 – Tourism Paragraph 13 – ‘……New and extended sites should be effectively screened, and planned so as not to be visually intrusive….’. PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE: 26/09/2011 HEAD OF REGULATORY REPORT CAERNARFON (PLANNING, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC PROTECTION) Paragraph 14 – ‘Local planning authorities should examine the scope for encouraging holiday caravan site operators to improve the quality of their sites and to relocate sites away from particularly sensitive areas, such as the Heritage Coast. Policies to this effect should be included in development plans. In some cases to facilitate improvements or relocation, local planning authorities may need to consider some expansion of the area covered by a site, so that improved layouts and better landscaping can be implemented.’ Relevant Planning History: 2/24/U.124 ‘N’ – Legal use certificate for seasonal tenting site. Approved 9 December 1986. 2/24/124 ‘T’ – Siting of 20 touring caravans on part of a campsite. Approved 28 March 1996. Consultations: Community/Town Council: No objection. Transportation Unit: To refuse - unwilling to have an additional development which will attract more traffic through Morfa Bychan and lead to problems on the roads. However, should the applicant be willing to replace one hundred tents on the site with 40 touring caravans, then the Transportation Unit would look more favourably on the application. Environment Agency: Need to agree on land drainage details and the treatment of foul water. Welsh Water: No objection. Public Protection Unit: No observations Public Consultation: A notice was placed on the site. The advertising period ended on 26 November 2002. A letter was received from the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales objecting on the following grounds: • Concern regarding the proposal to have further touring caravans again; • Lack of additional screening proposed; and • Traffic problems through the village becoming even worse. Additional Information: A site licence for 500 tents had been issued for the site in 1982 which continues to be effective and a licence was issued on 10 January 2011 for 20 touring caravans. Material Planning Considerations: Extending numbers on existing sites 1. Policy D20 of the GUDP states that proposals to increase the number of pitches on existing touring caravan sites will be approved provided that the proposal forms part of a scheme that will result in environmental and visual improvements in terms of siting, layout, design and the appearance of the site and its setting in the surrounding landscape, and that the proposed development will not exceed the ability of the vicinity (e.g. environmental, social and cultural, roads network, amenities etc) to PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE: 26/09/2011 HEAD OF REGULATORY REPORT CAERNARFON (PLANNING, TRANSPORT & PUBLIC PROTECTION) accommodate such developments, taking into account the cumulative effect of existing and approved touring caravan, camping and touring unit sites within the locality. 2. With regard to the application submitted, no environmental or visual improvements are proposed and, therefore, it is considered that the proposal is contrary to the principle of Policy D20. The existing site lies within a Landscape Conservation Area and Policy B10 protects and ensures that any development enriches the area. As no environmental improvement plan has been submitted, the proposal is contrary to Policy B10 also. Road considerations 3. The Morfa Bychan area has a significant number of sites for static and touring caravans as well as campsites, and licences exist for a total of approximately 1380 static caravans, 367 touring caravans and 770 tents in the area. This means that the village has to cope with a high level of traffic particularly during the summer months. 4. A consultation with the Transportation Unit was undertaken at the time and an objection was received because the proposal would attract more traffic through the village. Although there is potential for the proposal to be contrary to policy CH33 in this sense, it must be questioned whether an increase of 40 units on the site is likely to cause an unacceptable increase in traffic flow through the village and whether this would cause substantial harm to road safety. It is not considered that an objection on grounds of road safety in itself would be sufficient to warrant refusing the application as the increase in traffic flow through the village, should the proposal be approved, is not likely to be substantial. Conclusions: It is appreciated that the application was submitted to the Council for consideration some time ago and that a different Local Development Plan existed at the time. However, the policy principle has not changed at all since the adoption of the GUDP in 2009. In order to allow approving increasing the numbers on the existing sites, it must be shown that the proposal in question is part of a scheme for environmental and visual improvements. Such a scheme has not been presented with the current application and, therefore, the proposal is contrary to Policy D20 of the GUDP. Without such an improvement, it is considered that the proposal would have an impact on the visual amenities of the Landscape Conservation Area contrary to Policy B10. In the absence of any other material planning consideration, the current application must be determined in accordance with local planning policy and national planning guidance. Consequently, it is recommended that the application be refused for the reason noted. Recommendation: To refuse – reasons – contrary to Policy D20 (no evidence presented that the proposal forms part of a scheme which would result in environmental and visual improvements