Proposed siting of three lodge units for holiday use together with access drive, car parking and sewage treatment plant.

Proposed siting of three lodge units for holiday use together with access drive, car parking and sewage treatment plant.

The Principal Planning Officer updated the Sub-Committee with a response received from, the Council’s Tourism Officer who had made the following comments:

Due to the large number of planning applications for the change of use, conversion and build of self-catering accommodation, it was deemed appropriate to conduct an assessment of trends of self-catering establishments in 2006 and run an annual occupancy survey. It was found that the occupancies for self-catering had fallen by 4%, with new starts fairing worst. With this year occupancy running at 52%, 9% down on 2005 figures. At the end of 2007 occupancy was running at 51%

I believe we have reached a tipping point for the "standard" self-catering establishments, however there is still scope in the consideration of planning applications. The development would need to be fully compliant with wheelchair access to comply higher than level 1 or level 2 of the National Accessibility Scheme.

The Local Ward Member, Councillor RJ Phillips, expressed his support for the application. He considered that there was sufficient need for the development in the local area especially with regards to the need for accommodation generated by Shobdon Airport and tourism in the area. He said that large groups often took flying lessons and needed somewhere to stay and with the recent closure of three local bed and breakfast establishments he was aware of sufficient demand. He felt that the proposed scheme was relatively modest, would not be detrimental to the local landscape, and there would not be a significant increase in traffic movements. He was of the view that the development should remain for tourist use only and that it should not be allowed to become residential use in the future.  He suggested that this could be determined by an occupancy condition. He expressed the need for an ecological survey of the site to be carried out prior to development taking place and the planting of a hedge to screen the site and mitigate the negative appearance of the existing workshop buildings.

Others Members were in agreement with the Local Member, but the Southern Team Leader said that a full ecological survey might take some time to complete . He was of the view that if the Sub-Committee was mindful to grant permission, there was a need to include a condition that the units should have full access for wheelchair users and the Local Ward Member was agreeable to this.  He suggested that the matter should be deferred to enable all the outstanding issues to be addressed.  After some discussion the Committee concurred with the view of the Local Ward Member that the application should be granted subject to the conditions which had been identified and that the application should be referred back to the Sub-Committee if they could not be met by the applicants to the satisfaction of the officers.

RESOLVED:

That   (i)      The Northern Area Planning Sub-Committee is minded to delegate the officers to approve the application in consultation with the Local Ward Member, subject to the following conditions and any other conditions felt to be necessary by the Head of Planning and Transportation, provided that the Head of Planning and Transportation does not refer the application to the Planning Committee:

1.      A full ecological survey.

2.      Landscaping

3.      All the units having provision for wheelchair accessibility.

4.      Vehicular access.

5.      Appropriate restriction on occupation

(ii)               If the Head of Planning Servicesdoes not refer the application to the Planning Committee, Officers named in the Scheme of Delegation to Officers be instructed to approve the application, subject to the conditions and consultation referred to above.