Packpublic.Pdf
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
CITY AND COUNTY OF SWANSEA NOTICE OF MEETING You are invited to attend a Special Meeting of the DEVELOPMENT MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL COMMITTEE At: Council Chamber, Civic Centre, Swansea On: Thursday, 7 February, 2013 Time: 5.00 pm AGENDA Page No. 1. Apologies for Absence. 2. To Receive Disclosures of Personal & Prejudicial Interests. 1 3. Planning Application 2012/1221 - Mynydd y Gwair, Swansea. 2 - 265 4. Swansea Vale Flood Prevention Scheme - Enabling Works. 266 - 275 Patrick Arran Head of Legal, Democratic Services & Procurement 31 January 2013 Contact: Democratic Services - Tel: (01792) 636820 ACCESS TO INFORMATION LOCAL GOVERNMENT ACT 1972 (SECTION 100) (AS AMENDED) (NOTE: The documents and files used in the preparation of this Schedule of Planning Applications are identified in the ‘Background Information’ Section of each report. The Application files will be available in the committee room for half an hour before the start of the meeting, to enable Members to inspect the contents). Agenda Item 2 Disclosures of Personal Interest from Members To receive Disclosures of Personal Interest from Members in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Conduct adopted by the City and County of Swansea. You must disclose orally to the meeting the existence and nature of that interest. NOTE: You are requested to identify the Agenda Item / Minute No. / Planning Application No. and Subject Matter to which that interest relates and to enter all declared interests on the sheet provided for that purpose at the meeting. 1. If you have a Personal Interest as set out in Paragraph 10 of the Code, you MAY STAY, SPEAK AND VOTE unless it is also a Prejudicial Interest. 2. If you have a Personal Interest which is also a Prejudicial Interest as set out in Paragraph 12 of the Code, then subject to point 3 below, you MUST WITHDRAW from the meeting (unless you have obtained a dispensation from the Authority’s Standards Committee) 3. Where you have a Prejudicial Interest you may attend the meeting but only for the purpose of making representations, answering questions or giving evidence relating to the business, provided that the public are also allowed to attend the meeting for the same purpose, whether under a statutory right or otherwise. In such a case, you must withdraw from the meeting immediately after the period for making representations, answering questions, or giving evidence relating to the business has ended, and in any event before further consideration of the business begins, whether or not the public are allowed to remain in attendance for such consideration (Paragraph 14 of the Code). 4. Where you have agreement from the Monitoring Officer that the information relating to your Personal Interest is sensitive information, as set out in Paragraph 16 of the Code of Conduct, your obligation to disclose such information is replaced with an obligation to disclose the existence of a personal interest and to confirm that the Monitoring Officer has agreed that the nature of such personal interest is sensitive information. 5. If you are relying on a grant of a dispensation by the Standards Committee, you must, before the matter is under consideration: (i) disclose orally both the interest concerned and the existence of the dispensation; and (ii) before or immediately after the close of the meeting give written notification to the Authority containing - - details of the prejudicial interest; - details of the business to which the prejudicial interest relates; - details of, and the date on which, the dispensation was granted; and - your signature D:\moderngov\Data\AgendaItemDocs\9\7\6\AI00002679\$fvf5uvhr.docPage 1 Agenda Item 3 Report of the Head of Economic Regeneration and Planning Development Management and Control Committee 7 February 2013 MYNYDD Y GWAIR, SWANSEA Installation of 16 wind turbines (maximum height to blade tip of 127 metres with a hub height of 80 metres), with a maximum generating capacity of 48MW, associated tracks and ancillary infrastructure (including permanent and temporary anemometer masts, electrical substation compound, hardstandings, transformers and underground cabling) and construction of new access track from A48 (Bolgoed Road at Pontarddulais) (approximately 14.54km in length) incorporating improvements to 3.9km of existing road across Mynydd Pysgodlyn Purpose: To determine the application for the etc Policy Framework: European, UK, Welsh Government and Local Planning Policies Reason for Decision: Statutory responsibility of the Local Planning Authority Consultation: Statutory consultations in accordance with planning regulations as set out in the planning application report. Recommendation(s): Approve, subject to a legal agreement & conditions set out in the report Report Author: John Lock Finance Officer: Not applicable Legal Officer: Roderic Jones Introduction This application is being reported directly to this Development Management and Control Committee because of its strategic significance in accordance with the Council Constitution. Additionally, the application has been “called-in” by Cllr. Gareth Sullivan. The long and detailed report sets out the background history to the proposal, the data provided with the submission, the results of the Council’s consultation on the submission, an analysis of the merits of the scheme in the context of the relevant policy framework, and a recommendation on the Council’s decision. In line with normal practice, at Committee a presentation will be given containing plans, photomontages, aerial photos, site photos and access road details etc. Page 2 . To ensure that Members can easily view and assimilate this information, it will be distributed at Committee together with the introductory PowerPoint presentation on the material considerations that Committee will need to take into account. In the interests of aiding Committee Members to find their way around the report and to have an overview of the issues, this summary of the contents is provided. It is not a substitute for the report’s detailed consideration, but a guide to its contents. Finally, the page numbers referred to relate to the page numbers at the top of the report’s pages, and not the agenda page numbers at the bottom of the pages. Background Information Section 1 Page 1 - The Policy Framework This section details the policy frame work for the proposal’s consideration, which includes European Energy Policy, UK Renewable Energy Policy, Welsh Renewable Energy Policy, National Planning Guidelines, including TAN’s’ and the Council’s Unitary Development Plan policies. Section 2 Page 6- Site History This section details the site’s history, with particular reference to the application being a resubmission of the scheme for the development of a wind farm on the current site. A scheme for the provision of 19 large turbines was considered by this Council, and subsequently the Welsh Minister following a Public Inquiry into the Council’s non-determination of the application, in 2010. The Council’s objection to the scheme, together with the objections and representations on interested parties, were considered by the Inquiry Inspector who recommended to the Welsh Minister that “the risk of an unacceptable degree of harm to the peat habitat is sufficient to justify refusal of this proposal”. This recommendation was accepted by the Minister, and permission was refused on this ground. Subsequent legal challenges quashed and then restored the decision. Reference is also made to the permission granted by Carmarthenshire County Council for a wind farm on land adjacent to the current proposal at Mynydd y Betws. Section 3 Page 9 – Consultations This section details the consultations undertaken on the proposal and the extensive responses received. Responses from interested parties include two petitions of objection with a total of 776 names, and 1263 letters. The action group SOCME has made both initial objections to the proposal and submitted a detailed critique of the scheme, which is reproduced in full in Appendices C to G of this report. Page 3 . Overriding concerns relate to the visual impact of the proposal, its ecological, biological and archaeological impact, the loss of, and disruption to, common land and its grazing, and the inherent financial weaknesses of windfarm power generation. Also, 504 letters of support have been received, commenting in the main on the economic benefits that would accrue to the local economy from the proposal, the community benefits that would accompany it, and the need for sustainable energy developments to be supported. In terms of statutory consultations, no objections have been made, subject to particular issues being addressed. Of particular importance is the response of no objection from the Countryside Council for Wales as it was CCW’s objection on grounds of the effect on the peat deposits that caused the Inspector & Welsh Minister to dismiss the developer’s previous appeal. The deletion of three turbines and their associated access tracks and hard standings has addressed the issue. The Council employed Landscape Consultants to assess the scheme. These were the same experts that supported the Council at the Public Inquiry into the previous proposal. Their conclusion was that the amendment of the scheme from 19 turbines to 16 would “probably not reduce the magnitude of landscape or visual impacts given the overall visibility of this proposed large scale development comprising 127m high turbines in the landscape”. Section 4 Page 63 – The Appraisal & Conclusion This section describes