Agenda item

Consideration was given to the Report of the Corporate Lead Officer – Economy and Regeneration on the following planning applications which had been considered at a previous meeting and which required further consideration by the Committee:-

A230265  Proposed rural enterprise dwelling to include alterations to existing field gate entrance and installation of package treatment plant on site of previous dwelling known as 'Ty Newydd',  Land At Ty Newydd Tregaron, Tregaron, SY25 6LQ

Councillor Gareth Lloyd proposed against the officer recommendation so that planning permission should be granted to the application, and was seconded by Councillor Marc Davies

A recorded vote was taken on the Officer recommendation in accordance with Part 4, Document I of the Council’s Constitution due to the Committee’s decision being contrary to the Officer recommendation and a significant departure from policy.

For the recommendation: None

Against the recommendation:

Councillors Gethin Davies, Rhodri Davies, Marc Davies, Meirion Davies, Raymond Evans, Rhodri Evans,  Hugh Hughes, Chris James, Ceris Jones, Gareth Lloyd, Sian Maehrlein, Mark Strong, Carl Worrall (13)

Abstaining: None

It was agreed to APPROVE the application subject to a Section 106 Obligation for a rural enterprise dwelling.

Members did not agree with the recommendation of the Officers and were of the opinion that the application could be approved for the following reasons:

•         The application site lies on the footprint of an existing ruin, where it was still possible to see an outline of the previous access and curtilage on the ground;

•         The application site lies in close proximity and within walking distance to the business premises;

•         The farmhouse appeared too small to accommodate the applicant and his family, along with the applicant’s parents; The location of the application site allows for an element of privacy, away from the main farmhouse;

•         The proposal would make use of an existing entrance and access track;

•         The proposed dwelling could only be seen from a limited number of neighbouring properties, with the nearest being approximately half a mile away;

•         The size of the proposed dwelling was not considered to be out of keeping with the area or appear incongruous;

•         The dwelling appeared traditional in its appearance and in keeping with the rural character of the area;

•         Any visual impact would be mitigated against by the existing natural screening close to the site and by the fact that the dwelling would be re-built on the footprint of the previous house.

•         The wording in TAN6 in relation to qualifying rural enterprises was too restrictive but Members believed whilst the proposal did not obtain its primary input from the application site itself it did represent a farm diversification scheme and provided a service which supported agricultural activities in the immediate and local area. The Members concluded that the application would meet the qualifying factors for a TAN6 dwelling.

•         The application met the criteria in paragraph 4.4 of TAN6, New dwellings on established rural enterprise:-

c. the enterprise concerned has been established for at least three years, profitable for at least one of them and both the enterprise and the business need for the job, is currently financially sound, and has a clear prospect of remaining so;

d. the functional need could not be fulfilled by another dwelling or by converting an existing suitable building already on the land holding comprising the enterprise, or any other existing accommodation in the locality which is suitable and available for occupation by the worker concerned

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