Agenda and minutes

As noted above.

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

None received.

To submit, for confirmation, the minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 September, 2025.

The minutes of the previous meeting held on 10 September, 2025 were confirmed as correct.

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the Call for Sites will assist to identify suitable land to meet future housing, employment and infrastructure needs and as part of the early evidence gathering and plan preparation. The Council conducted a Call for Candidate Sites process between 12 May, 2025 for an initial six-week period, concluding on 23 June, 2025 and an extended for a further six weeks was undertaken until 4 August, 2025.  Following the validation process, a total of 312 sites from individual users were received representing a range of land uses.  The Register will be published on the Council’s website to ensure transparency and will also form part of the evidence base for the Local Development Plan. The next state of the process involves an assessment of all the Candidate Sites. 

Councillor Llio Angharad Owen raised that there is a site within her Ward that has been submitted for both residential and renewable energy.  She further noted that the size of both sites is different.  The Chief Planning Officer responded that the owner/agent must have submitted different options available for the site.

Councillor Nicola Roberts raised that some of the villages should be stated on the Candidate Site Register list to ensure that the public can be aware of the location of the candidate sites.

Councillor Pip O’Neill ascertained as to the number of sites that have been proposed for protection and as to the timescale for the filtering of the sites. The Chief Planning Officer responded that a total of 6 sites has been proposed for protection. He noted that a process of assessing and filtering will be undertaken and these 6 sites have been included within the Candidates Register at present.  The period for the presentation of sites has been undertaken for an extended period of 12 weeks.  However, if additional sites were to be put forward, consideration will be given to these proposed sites.

It was RESOLVED to note the contents of the Candidate Site Register for the new Ynys Môn Local Development Plan.

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the report sets out the policy requirement to establish a settlement hierarchy as part of the process of developing a Local Development Plan and is essential to identify the different settlements to receive growth in terms of their location, role and function.  This involves an assessment of the current role and function of settlements, as well as an understanding of the relationships between settlements.  The topic paper seeks to assess the role of settlements within the Plan Areas and subsequently group settlements into different tiers/types based upon their role and function.  The tiers set out within the settlement hierarchy are:-

·          Sub-regional Service Centre

·          Urban Service Centre

·          Local Service Centres

·          Villages

·          Clusters

·          Undefined Rural Settlements

Based on the scoring for each settlement assessed, all settlements were subsequently grouped into different tiers based upon their role and function.  The majority of settlements have remained within their relative tiers as categorised in the Anglesey and Gwynedd Joint Local Development Plan.  Where settlements have been upgraded to a higher tier, it means that the services and facilities (as identified in the assessment methodology) that are available in those settlements have increased in number/availability since the situation in the Joint Local Development Plan.  Conversely, where settlements have been downgraded to a lower tier, the availability/number of those facilities/services have reduced.  The following settlements have been re-classified to reflect the results of the scoring methodology used for this assessment:-

·          Holyhead has been re-classified as a Sub-regional Centre;

·          Menai Bridge has been upgraded from a Local Service Centre to an Urban Service Centre;

·          Brynsiencyn and Penysarn have been upgraded from Local Villages to Service Villages;

·          Newborough has been downgraded from a Service Village to a Local Village;

·          Pentre Canol, Pentre Berw and Rhostrehwfa have been upgraded from a Cluster to a Local Village;

·          Llanrhuddlad, Pencaernisiog, Carreglefn, Llanfaethlu, Llanddona and Llanbedrgoch have been downgraded from Villages to Clusters.

Councillor Kenneth P Hughes said that the majority of the area on Anglesey are rural areas and Welsh Governments’ Planning Sustainability Policy discriminates against rural area.  Councillor Hughes proposed that a letter be sent by this Committee to Welsh Government highlighting that the current Sustainability Policy discriminates against rural areas and is a barrier in establishing a Local Development Plan which will create the needs of Anglesey. 

The Chief Planning Officer said that the developments in Wales need to be sustainable, and a new Development Plan will need to address National Planning Policies.  The Local Development Plan also needs to reflect the services available within communities.

The Vice-Chair said that consideration should be given that there will be the Senedd Elections in May with a possibility that an answer to the question raised will not be forthcoming.   Councillor Nicola Roberts said that she considered that the matter, firstly, should be discussed with the Group Leaders.

Councillor Nicola Roberts said that Canolfan Ysgol y Bont, Llangefni should be included within the settlement strategy  ...  view the full minutes text for item 5.

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the report sets out the policy context for waste planning and lists the hierarchy of national policy documents and statutory requirements as the basis to inform the development of sustainable waste planning policies. The report highlights two areas of concern where provision should be made to ensure continued high rates of reuse and recycling.  The shortfalls in provision that are identified relates to the strengthening the support for C & D recycling and secondary aggregates and a provision for Household Waste Recycling Centres for Holy Island/Holyhead and North Anglesey/Amlwch either through the allocation of appropriate sites or by developing a policy that enables the development of such sites on employment land should there be a lack of available sites for allocation. 

It was RESOLVED to endorse the findings of the Waste Topic Paper and to approve Option B (Policy Enhancement), as noted within the report, as the preferred approach for developing waste management policies within the new Local Development Plan.   

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the report summaries the content of the topic paper on minerals which supports the preparation of the new Anglesey Local Development Plan and addresses the requirements to maintain a landbank for a minimum of 10 years.  He noted that Anglesey boasts a varied geology and this result in a wide range of mineral production.  The reports highlight potential deficiencies if large infrastructure and construction projects occur on the Island.  

It was RESOLVED to accept the report together with the findings of the topic paper and endorses as a basis for developing minerals planning policy for the new Local Development Plan.

To submit a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

Submitted – a report by the Head of Regulation and Economic Development.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that the  report provides an updated assessment of retail need in Anglesey and is intended to inform the emerging draft Local Development Plan 2024 to 2039.  The study focused on the 10 retail centres as follows:-

·          Urban retail centres : Holyhead and Llangefni

·          Local retail centres : Amlwch, Benllech, Beaumaris, Llanfairpwll, Menai Bridge, and Valley

·          Small Local Centre : Cemaes, Gaerwen and Rhosneigr

The study outlines national economic and market trends and how these have affected Anglesey centres.  The study also assesses current shopping behaviour and forecasts how this may change in the future.  The conclusions are that there is no quantitative need for additional convenience or comparison retail floorspace in the Plan period.  The study recommends the variation of the viability and sustainability of these centres and to review the boundaries to reflect the retail pattern within these areas.  The study also reflects the requirement for mixed use of these centres i.e. leisure use. 

Councillor Jeff Evans referred that there is a challenge for town centres to be able to compete with out-of-town facilities.  He noted that the needs of people who wishes to shop within town centres needs to be addressed with an incentive for affording varied shops and free car parking facilities to attract people to the town centres. 

The Chief Planning Officer responded that the study highlights the current shopping trends on the Island.  The study also reflects when the planning policies are developed as part of the Local Development, mix use of shopping centres will be encouraged. 

Councillor John Ifan Jones referred to the increase in Food Halls across the UK and suggested that such Food Halls should be considered within local shopping complex on the Island. 

The Chief Planning Officer responded that there will be a need for varying of facilities available within the shopping centres across the Island.  There will be a need to have flexibility within future planning policies to address such projects within town centres. 

It was RESOLVED to accept the report as the basis for policy drafting in the Preferred Strategy.

To discuss dates of future meetings.

The Chief Planning Officer reported that it is suggested that future meetings of the Committee should be convened on a quarterly basis as follows :-

·                  May/June 2026

·                  September 2026

·                 December 2026

·                  March 2027

Additional meetings will be convened if any urgent matters arise that require the Committee’s approval.

It was RESOLVED to accept the schedule of meetings as noted above.