PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO DYDDIAD: 16/06/2014 SIAMBR DAFYDD ORWIG PLANNING COMMITTEE DATE: COUNCIL CHAMBER CAERNARFON EITEM CAIS RHIF CYMUNED LLEOLIAD ITEM APPLICATION COMMUNITY LOCATION NUMBER 1 C13/0036/13/AM Bethesda Austin Taylor Communications Ltd, High Street, Bethesda 2 C13/0403/39/LL Llanengan Gwesty White House Hotel, Abersoch 3 C13/0920/17/LL Llandwrog Parc Llanfair, Dinas Dinlle Caernarfon 4 C14/0002/16/LL Llandygai Ysgubor y Gelli, Lon y Wern, Tregarth, Bangor 5 C14/0100/23/LL Llanrug 7, Minffordd Estate, Llanrug 6 C14/0106/20/LL Y Felinheli 27, Brynffynnon, Y Felinheli 7 C14/0210/41/AM Llanystumdwy Cyn safle/Site of former Afon Wen Laundry, Afonwen, Pwllheli 8 C14/0304/38/LL Llanbedrog Crugan Holiday Park, Llanbedrog 9 C14/0306/39/LL Llanengan Haulfryn Talyfan, Abersoch 10 C13/0786/32/MW Botwnnog Nanhoron Granite Quarry PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO DYDDIAD: 16/06/14 ADRODDIAD UWCH REOLWR GWASANAETH CYNLLUNIO AC AMGYLCHEDD CAERNARFON REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMITTEE REFER TO A COOLING OFF PERIOD DATE OF THE 16 June, 2014 PLANNING COMMITTEE: DESCRIPTION AND Application Number C13/0036/13/AM – outline application LOCATION OF to demolish the existing buildings and erect 37 dwellings APPLICATION: and create an estate road on the Austin Taylor site, Bethesda. REPORT BY: Senior Planning and Environment Service Manager RECOMMENDATION: To accept the recommendation, namely to delegate the right to the Senior Planning Manager to recommend the Welsh Ministers to approve subject to the applicant signing a Section 106 legal agreement for the provision of an element of affordable housing. 1. PURPOSE 1.1 This outline application was reported to the Planning Committee on 28.04.14 and the Committee’s intention was to refuse the application contrary to the recommendation based on lack of local need for housing, no specific statistics submitted relating to the local need, the site had not been for sale for a sufficient period of time to justify the loss of an industrial site and the detrimental impact on the Welsh language. Because, in the view of the Head of Regulatory Department, the decision represented a significant risk to the Council, 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. 2 DESCRIPTION 2.1 This is an outline application to demolish a factory building and erect 37 residential units (including seven affordable units) and confirm the details of the access. The recommendation is to delegate the right to approve subject to the applicant signing a Section 106 agreement for the provision of an element of affordable housing. 2.2 The application site is located within the Bethesda development boundary and has not been designated for housing. The site measures 1.59 hectares and comprises a substantial former factory on a fairly flat plot. The site is situated below the A5 trunk road and Caseg river runs directly past the site. The majority of the site that forms part of this application is situated within a C2 flooding zone. 2.3 The application was submitted to Committee on 28.04.14 with the officers’ recommendation to delegate the right to the Senior Planning Manager to recommend the Welsh Ministers to approve subject to the applicant signing a Section 106 legal agreement for the provision of an element of affordable housing as it was considered, based on the evidence, that the application was acceptable PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO DYDDIAD: 16/06/14 ADRODDIAD UWCH REOLWR GWASANAETH CYNLLUNIO AC AMGYLCHEDD CAERNARFON and complies with local and national planning policies. A copy of the report and the plans submitted to the Planning Committee on 28.04.14 is attached in Appendix 1, which further explains the background of the application. 3 POLICY CONTEXT Planning Policy Wales (Version 6, February 2014) and Technical Advice Note. 3.1 Before reaching a decision on this application, it will be necessary to consider National Planning Policy which is a material planning consideration in making decisions on planning applications. It provides a policy framework for Local Planning Authorities, so that they can prepare effective development plans. The Welsh Ministers and Planning Inspectors will consider these in determining planning applications that are called in, and also on appeal. 3.2 Chapter 7 on ‘Economic Development’ states that the planning system should help the economy and employment to grow and to support social and environmental sustainability in the context of sustainable development. Therefore it is important to ensure that the lack of economic land does not hinder the growth in output and employment in the area. It states that local planning authorities should seek to provide the land required by the market. 3.3 Chapter 9 on ‘Housing’ states that previously developed land should be used rather than using Greenfield sites and that local planning authorities should promote sustainable residential environments and avoid creating large areas of housing of uniform character and make appropriate provision for affordable housing. The chapter also states that new housing developments should be well integrated and connected to the existing pattern of settlements. It states that affordable housing makes an essential contribution to community regeneration and social inclusion. 3.4 Planning Policy Wales is endorsed by a series of Technical Advice Notes (TANs). TAN 23 on ‘Economic Development’ ensures that social, environmental and economic considerations are considered. Paragraph 4.6.9 of the TAN notes that “existing employment sites should only be released for other uses if one or more of the following apply: They have poor prospects of being re-occupied for their previous use; The particular market that the site is part of is oversupplied; The existing employment use has unacceptable adverse impacts on amenity or the environment; The proposed redevelopment does not compromise unduly neighbouring employment sites that are to be retained; Other priorities, such as housing need, override more narrowly focussed economic consideration; and / or Land of equal or better quality is made available elsewhere, even if this is not within the local planning authority boundary. 3.5 TAN 20 on “Planning and the Welsh Language” explains how the Welsh language should be taken into account when preparing development plans and when determining planning applications where the needs and interests of the Welsh language may be a material consideration. PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO DYDDIAD: 16/06/14 ADRODDIAD UWCH REOLWR GWASANAETH CYNLLUNIO AC AMGYLCHEDD CAERNARFON Gwynedd Unitary Development Plan (GUDP) and Supplementary Planning Guidelines (SPG):- The Welsh Language 3.6 Policy A2 of the GUDP refers to protecting the social, linguistic and cultural fabric of communities. Members of the Planning Committee expressed concern in relation to the impact of the proposal on the Welsh language and the local community. The Supplementary Planning Guidance: Planning and the Welsh Language supports the policies of the adopted GUDP and its contents is a material planning consideration. The guidance states that it builds upon research that was commissioned in partnership with other planning authorities, the Assembly Government, the Welsh Language Board and the Home Builders Federation and the guidance is a way of supporting inclusive, bilingual and hardworking communities achieve one of the main themes of the Community Strategy for Gwynedd. The purpose of the guidance is to provide guidance on how the Planning Authority will deal with applications for developments that could affect the future of the Welsh language in communities. 3.7 The guidance states when planning applications should include a Community and Language Statement, and as a starting point the Planning Authority will request a Community and Language Statement as part of a planning application that includes a residential development of five or more residential units on a site / land that has not been designated for a housing development in a development plan. The guidance goes on to confirm that the statement will be part of the background work to asses planning applications and part of a number of other material factors that will be considered, and applications are not often decided based on the information in the Statement alone. 3.8 In this case, the applicant undertook a community and language assessment despite there only being a need for a community and language statement. This means that the information submitted by the applicant is more detailed than what is expected in this case. The information submitted by the applicant was assessed and the following points were noted by the Joint Planning Policy Unit: There is a wide range of facilities and services in Bethesda and it is considered that these are sufficient to support the growth in the population that would derive from the proposed development. It is noted that 73.7% of the population of the Gerlan ward speak Welsh compared with 69% in Gwynedd. The proposal offers a selection of different types of houses and it is proposed to meet local needs. The proposed selection should appeal to local residents from different backgrounds, especially young families. In using the formula and the information noted in the Supplementary Planning Guidance ‘Housing Developments and Educational Provision’ it is noted that the development would mean that the number of pupils in Ysgol Gynradd Abercaseg and Ysgol Gynradd Penybryn would continue to be lower than their capacity i.e. continue to be 57 vacant spaces in Ysgol Abercaseg and Ysgol Penybryn (based on the 2012 school figures). PWYLLGOR CYNLLUNIO DYDDIAD: 16/06/14 ADRODDIAD UWCH REOLWR GWASANAETH CYNLLUNIO AC AMGYLCHEDD CAERNARFON It is noted that the percentage of migrants in the Gerlan ward has increased from 168 to 238 (+41.7%) between 1991 and 2001 in comparison with the increase in Gwynedd from 9521 to 14,046 (47.5%) (2011 Census Data not available).