5 Application No C16/0507/20/LL - Menai Marina Offices, Hen Gei Llechi, y Felinheli PDF 294 KB
Erection of a two storey extension to the existing office to provide toilets, showers and more office space together with the erection of 3 retail units (A1) and extend the existing car park.
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Gareth W Griffith
Link
to relevant background documents
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Construction of two-storey extension to existing office to provide
toilets, showers and more office space together with the construction of three
retail units (A1) and extending the existing car park.
(a) The
Planning Manager elaborated on the background of the application, noting that
the application had been deferred at the Committee held on 6 November 2017 in
order to carry out a site visit. Some members had visited the site on 8
December 2017. She referred to the additional observations received from the
applicant in response to the Committee's concerns, which included:
·
The existing facilities (showers, toilets, office)
were in a poor location too far away from the main hub of activities near the
dock gates and too far from the outer Menai basin. The proposal would significantly improve the
service of the business.
·
Currently, boats were removed from the water with a
hired crane and were stored over winter on the car park. The company felt that
this was not an ideal situation and detracted from the area's visual amenities
and reduced the parking for customers. The development would ensure a better
car park and boats would only be stored and removed from the water in the
operational section of the dock near the existing boatyard workshop.
·
The main aim of the development was to improve the
marina's facilities and also to improve and reduce the impact of any marina
activities on the area's residential amenities.
It
was noted that the proposal was acceptable in principle and that the appearance
of the development was acceptable in its entirety as a single development. It
was considered that the impacts associated with the proposal were acceptable
near residential houses, in particular considering the existing use of the
land.
It
was noted that the applicant did not have any objection to imposing a condition
which prevented the car park from being used for the storage of boats. It was
considered that imposing such a condition could offer improvements to the area
as there was currently no control over the car park and the condition should
reduce the need for boat-owners to park on the side of the road by keeping the
car park for cars only.
The
development was acceptable in terms of relevant local and national policies for
the reasons noted in the report.
(b) The following main points were
made by the local member (not a member of this Planning Committee):
·
Impact on parking and transport, problems in this
area already and a crane would have difficulties to come and go;
·
That there was a need to consider the 87 houses
that would be impacted by the development;
·
That there were ancillary facilities on the site
already but that the previous owner had leased them. Accepted that new
ancillary facilities would be more convenient but that they would add to the
parking and transportation problems;
·
The application was an over-development of the site.
(c) Proposed
and seconded to approve the application.
A member noted that he was concerned in terms ... view the full minutes text for item 5
5 Application No C16/0507/20/LL - Menai Marina Offices, Hen Gei Llechi, Y Felinheli PDF 191 KB
Erection of a two storey extension to the existing office to provide toilets, showers and more office space together with the erection of 3 retail units (A1) and extend the existing car park
LOCAL MEMBER: Councillor Gareth W Griffith
Link
to relevant background documents
Additional documents:
Minutes:
Construction of two-storey extension to existing office to provide
toilets, showers and more office space together with the construction of three
retail units (A1) and extending the current car park.
(a) The
Planning Manager elaborated on the background of the application and noted that
the design and access statement explained that the building would facilitate
natural supervision in a central location between the port to the south west
and the port system to the east. It was also intended to operate the port gates
from the building. The building would also provide new facilities including
toilets and showers in a central location for marina users.
Attention
was drawn to the fact that ownership had been changed since submitting the
application. A letter had been received from the new owner stating his
intention to continue with the application.
It
was noted that the application site was entirely within the Felinheli
development boundary. It was added that the application site also made use of
previously developed land and that this was encouraged through Planning Policy
Wales and the JLDP.
A
number of observations had been received objecting on the grounds that the
building was a dominant development, which was too big and would have a
negative impact on the character of the marina which included listed buildings.
On the other hand, observations had been received in favour of the development
which acknowledged that the proposal would offer a visual improvement to the
area by getting rid of the mobile cabins and the area would be much more
attractive.
It
was noted that in assessing the location, height and bulk of nearby buildings
that included three-storey houses, a block of flats and a substantial hotel in
the context of the natural level of the landscape, it was not considered that
the development would be a dominant structure or that it was too big for the
site. It was also considered that the design and the materials were acceptable
to the location. It was also not considered that the development would be
harmful to the setting of the nearby listed buildings. It was considered that
it was reasonable and necessary to impose a condition and to ensure that the
retail units were not constructed without the offices to ensure a satisfactory
appearance to the development and to protect the area's visual amenities.
It was considered that the impacts associated with
offices, amenity facilities and small retail units could be acceptable close to
residential houses, especially given the current land use. To protect the residential amenities of the
nearby houses, it was considered reasonable to restrict the shops' opening
hours to between 8am and 8pm every day and also to prevent deliveries outside
of these hours.
The application was accompanied by a flood consequence assessment and Natural Resources Wales had confirmed that potential consequences could be managed sufficiently on this site provided that conditions were imposed in relation to the finished floor level of the retail units, incorporating flood damage prevention measures in the existing ... view the full minutes text for item 5