Agenda, decisions and minutes

The apology for absence was noted as above.

To receive any declaration of interest by any Member or Officer in respect of any item of business.

Declarations of interest were made as follows:

Councillor Richard Owain Jones declared a prejudicial interest in relation to application 6.1

Councillor Nicola Roberts declared a prejudicial interest in relation to application 7.2 but said that she would be speaking on the matter as a Local Member.

Councillor Victor Hughes declared a personal interest in relation to application 7.3 and said that he had received advice both from the Council’s Legal Department and from the Public Services

Ombudsman’s Office that it was appropriate for him to participate in this matter.

The Chief Planning Officer declared an interest in relation to application 7.3

To present the minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning and Orders Committee held on 7^th December, 2016.

The minutes of the previous meeting of the Planning and Orders Committee held on 7th December, 2016 were presented and confirmed as correct subject to the following amendments with regard to application 7.2 –

•           That Councillor Ann Griffith had stood down as Chair for the consideration and determination of the application and had addressed the meeting on this matter as a Local Member only.

•           That in respect of the comments she had made as a Local Member, what she had said was that while the surrounding land was under water and was like a sea, neither the farmhouse, the road to the farm nor that particular field had flooded.

To present the minutes of the Planning site visit held on 21 December, 2016.

The minutes of the site visits undertaken on 21 December, 2016 were presented and confirmed as correct.

The Chair announced that there would be a Public Speaker in relation to application 7.2

6.1 20C310B/EIA/RE – Rhyd y Groes, Rhosgoch

6.2 23C280F – Plas Llanfihangel, Capel Coch

6.3 25C242 – Tyn Cae, Coedana, Llanerchymedd

6.4 34C304K/1/EIA/ECON – Coleg Menai, College Road, Llangefni

6.5 45C468 – Bodrida Bach, Brynsiencyn

6.1       20C310B/EIA/RE – Full application for the construction of a 49.99MW solar array farm together with associated equipment, infrastructure and ancillary works on land adjacent to Rhyd y Groes, Rhosgoch

Having declared a prejudicial interest in this application, Councillor Richard Owain Jones withdrew from the meeting during the consideration and determination thereof.

It was resolved to defer consideration of the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation to allow further information received from the Agent to be assessed.

6.2       23C280F – Retrospective application for an agricultural shed and milking parlour together with the construction of a slurry pit and associated development at Plas Llanfihangel, Capel Coch

It was resolved to defer consideration of the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation for the reason given in the written report.

6.3       25C242 – Retention of pond together with drainage works at Tyn Cae, Coedana, Llanerchymedd

It was resolved to defer consideration of the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation pending the receipt of further supporting details.

6.4       34C304K/1/EIA/ECON – Hybrid application applying for full planning permission for the creation of a new engineering centre, car parking, children’s play area and associated works and applying for outline planning permission with some matters reserved for a residential development of 157 dwellings, a hotel and food and beverage facility along with associated car parking and works on land at Coleg Menai, Ffordd y Coleg, Llangefni

It was resolved that due to the scale and context of the proposal, the site be visited in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation.

6.5       45C468 - Full application for the conversion of an outbuilding into a dwelling, the construction of a vehicular access, the installation of a package treatment plant together with the erection of an ecology mitigation structure at Bodrida Bach, Brynsiencyn

It was resolved to defer consideration of the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation due to outstanding issues.

7.1 15C30H/FR –  Pen y Bont Farm, Malltraeth

7.2  34C681 – Ty’n Coed Estate, Llangefni

7.3 36C338A – Ysgol Henblas, Llangristiolus

7.1       15C30H/FR – Full application for change of use of agricultural land to extend the existing caravan park to site a further 14 touring caravans with the installation of a septic tank on land at Pen y Bont Farm Touring and Camping, Malltraeth

The application was presented to the Planning and Orders Committee at the request of a Local Member. At its meeting on 2nd November, 2016, the Committee resolved that a site visit be undertaken and this took place on 16th November, 2016. At its meeting on 7th December, 2016, the Committee resolved to approve the application contrary to the Officer’s recommendation the reasons being that the Committee considered that the flood risk is not of a level that the proposal cannot be supported and that the proposal will not have a detrimental impact on the ecology of Malltraeth Marsh.

Councillor Ann Griffith stood down as Chair of the Committee for the consideration and determination of the application in order to speak as a Local Member. The Vice Chair, Councillor Richard Owain Jones chaired the item.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that a call-in request has since been made to the Welsh Government for the application to be determined by Welsh Ministers. Consequently, the Local Planning Authority is prohibited from approving the development pending a decision by Welsh Ministers on whether or not the application should be called in. This means there are two options open to the Committee at today’s meeting, either to refuse the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation or to defer it.

Councillor Ann Griffith speaking as a Local Member reiterated the views she had expressed at the previous meeting, namely that the application site has not been affected by flooding even during the worst of weathers such as at Christmas, 2015 . She asked the Committee to consider deferring the application pending the outcome of the Welsh Ministers’ deliberations.

Councillors Lewis Davies, John Griffith and Nicola Roberts were in favour of refusing the application because of concerns around flooding and because they deemed the Committee should be guided by the professional opinion of Natural Resources Wales which had raised objections to the proposal as the flood maps confirm that the application site lies within the extreme flood outline. Councillor Lewis Davies proposed that the application be refused and the proposal was seconded by Councillor John Griffith.

Councillor Kenneth Hughes proposed that the application be deferred to see whether or not the Welsh Ministers decide to call in the application to determine it themselves. The proposal was seconded by Councillor Jeff Evans who nevertheless repeated his support for the application based on there not having been any actual flooding on this site for the past 20 years.

In the subsequent vote, the proposal to defer the application was carried by five votes to three.

It was resolved to defer the application for the reason given. (Councillor Ann Griffith did not vote on the matter having stood down as Chair for this item).

7.2       34C681  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

None to be considered by this meeting.

None were considered by this meeting of the Planning and Orders Committee.

None to be considered by this meeting.

None were considered by this meeting of the Planning and Orders Committee.

10.1 34C700 – 1 Ty’n Pwll, Rhostrehwfa

10.2 35C262C – Tyn Pwll, Llangoed

10.1    34C700 – Full allocation for the erection of an affordable dwelling together with the installation of a package treatment plant on land adjacent to 1 Tyn Pwll, Rhostrehwfa

The application was presented to the Planning and Orders Committee because the application is a departure from the Ynys Môn Local Plan and Stopped Unitary Development Plan which the Planning Authority is minded to approve.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the recommendation of approval is based on the Draft Interim Planning Policy – Housing in Rural Clusters adopted by the Council in December 2011 to ensure that the Local Planning Authority maintains a 5 year housing land supply until the Joint Local Development Plan for Ynys Môn and Gwynedd is adopted. The interim policy applies to applications for single affordable housing within named clusters provided that they are acceptable in terms of other material considerations applicable in each individual case. With regard to the application, an affordability assessment has been undertaken by the Council’s Affordable Housing Officer which confirms that the applicant is in need of an affordable dwelling. The proposal is also considered acceptable as regards other material planning considerations including its design and its siting.

Councillor Lewis Davies proposed that the application be approved and the proposal was seconded by Councillor Victor Hughes.

It was resolved to approve the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation subject to the conditions set out in the written report and the signing of a Section 106 agreement requiring the dwelling to be affordable.

10.2    35C262C – Full application for the erection of a dwelling and detached garage on land adjacent to Tyn Pwll, Llangoed

The application was presented to the Planning and Orders Committee because the application is a departure from the Ynys Môn Local Plan and Stopped Unitary Development Plan which the Planning Authority is minded to approve.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the principle of a dwelling has been established with the granting of planning permission albeit contrary to the recommendation made by the Officers. The differences between this proposal and that approved in 2012 relate to design, height and footprint with the proposed new dwelling being 1.1 m higher than the original but having a reduced footprint (126.2 metres square as opposed to 239.8 metres square originally).Bearing in mind that there is an extant permission on the site the proposal is considered acceptable.

Councillor Kenneth Hughes proposed that the application be approved and the proposal was seconded by Councillor Jeff Evans.

It was resolved to approve the application in accordance with the Officer’s recommendation subject to the conditions set out in the written report.

None to be considered by this meeting.

None were considered by this meeting of the Planning and Orders Committee.

12.1 14C171J/ENF – Stryttwn Farm, Tynlon

12.2 21LPA727A/CC – Ysgol Parc y Bont, Llanddaniel

12.3 34LPA1013B/DA/CC – Link Road, Llangefni

12.4 39LPA589P/CC – Ysgol David Hughes, Menai Bridge

12.5 42C253 – Ysgol Gynradd Pentraeth, Pentraeth

12.1    14C171J/ENF – Retrospective application for the retention and completion of a new build holiday accommodation together with change of use of land to associated equestrianism at Stryttwn Farm, Tynlon

The application was presented to the Planning and Orders Committee at the request of a Local Member.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that a previous application for retrospective planning permission on a development that was found to have been in breach of planning consent awarded in 2014 for conversions and extension of an existing stable into a dwelling was refused because it was considered to be in an unsustainable and isolated rural location unrelated to, and far removed from any settlement and/or other facilities. The Officer said that having missed the deadline for requesting to speak publicly at this meeting, the applicant had contacted the Planning Department via e-mail which he read out to the Committee. In his e-mail the applicant emphasises the efforts he has made to compromise and to work with the Planning Service to find a solution to this matter and he also refers to the stress and anxiety the whole process has occasioned both himself and his family. The applicant goes on to highlight the merits of the application which he says is in an ideal location for a development of this kind, which would enable families to ride safely and which would require minimal access to other amenities e.g. shops meaning that the need to travel would be limited. The applicant states that if the application is refused than he will seek recourse to an appeal. With regard to the current application, while it is recognised by the Officer that it is a finely balanced decision, it is considered on balance that the proposal is unacceptable being located in the open countryside unrelated to and far removed from any settlement or other facilities and would lead to the user being reliant on the use of private vehicles contrary to relevant local and national policies and guidance.

Councillor R.G. Parry, OBE, FRAgS speaking as a Local Member said that planning policies support tourist related developments such as this; the applicant’s intention is to utilise the converted outbuilding to be let to visitors for specific equestrian purposes which is essentially a rural pursuit. The Officer acknowledges that this is a finely balanced decision in which the arguments on both sides have merit. Councillor R.G. Parry reminded the Committee of the background to this case and said that the applicant has spent a great deal of money on improving the subject building. Councillor Parry asked the Committee to support the application as bringing much needed tourism to this part of the Island and as one deserving of approval.

Councillor Victor Hughes said that he thought the Committee needed to know more about this proposal in order to be able to give it full consideration and he proposed that a site visit would help Members to come to an informed decision on the application. Councillor Lewis Davies seconded the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 12.

13.1 39C295B/LB – Pier Booking Office, St.George’s Road, Menai Bridge

13.1    39C295B/LB – Listed Building Consent for repairs to the Pier Booking Office, St.George’s Road, Menai Bridge

The Committee was informed that the application would be forwarded to the Welsh Government for determination in accordance with Regulation 13 of Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1980.

It was resolved to note the information.