Asbestos safety concerns dismissed as factory approved for padel centre

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

Planners have given the go-ahead for an indoor padel and pickleball centre in a disused industrial building despite warnings about asbestos.

The redevelopment of the building in Bangor into a padel facility was approved by planners, despite some “reservations” over asbestos.

The application was to convert an empty Denis Ferranti Meters Ltd building, a former aerospace parts site, on Caernarfon Road.

Cyngor Gwynedd’s planning committee agreed to a change of use of an existing industrial unit to an indoor padel sports centre at its meeting on Monday (December 8).

The application was submitted by the Social Sports Society through the agents JMS Planning and Development.

It included plans to develop eight padel courts, two pickleball courts, a reception/WC area, cabins, warm-up zone, cycle parking area and use of existing parking.

Padel is a cross between tennis and squash, whilst pickleball is more like tennis. The proposed hours of use would be from 7am – 11pm, seven days a week.

Public speaker Daniel Linton said the plans represented “a significant investment” for Bangor.

It would create an “excellent community facility offering access to the fastest growing sport in Europe” with eight “high quality courts” and would “provide significant benefits to the community, local economy and environment”.

The application was recommended for approval by council officers, but the local member for the Dewi Bangor ward, Cllr Gareth Roberts said he had “some reservations from local knowledge” and that “the industrial site had a lot of asbestos on it”.

He said: “I have had no evidence to prove there has been an asbestos survey done on the property and what work would be done to change the use of the building.

“I’d like to see evidence, because it is very concerning, asbestos damage to people.”

Planning officer Gareth Jones said no information about asbestos has been raised in terms of the planning application.

“If there was, I am sure the public protection department would have had observations on that,” he said.

“There are statutory requirements with regard to asbestos, that an applicant must adhere to outside of the planning system.”

But Cllr Roberts said he was “not happy” with the answer, and stated: “From local evidence, I know people who worked in that factory, for many years, there was a lot of asbestos, Denis Ferranti used to deal with asbestos on a big scale.

“My concern is, once you start knocking hell out of this building, changing its use, this will be disturbed forever and will fly to the neighbouring residential properties.

“It is a big concern. It’s a simple thing an asbestos survey should be conducted on the warehouse, that should have been forthcoming.”

The monitoring office Iwan Evans then stepped in to point out the only thing the planning committee had to consider was the “change of use” aspect of the application.

“There is already planning permission for industrial use and storage,” he said.

“As a committee, you haven’t control over other aspects, any development in terms of asbestos regulations, construction controls to ensure the development is done in a safe manner, the only thing you can consider is the change of use.

“There are regulations that the applicant or owner would have to comply with.

“But in terms of planning, the building is in existence, it has use anyway, and the other matters are outside of the scope of this planning committee.”

Proposing accepting the plans, Cllr Edgar Wyn Owen, said: “With regard to asbestos, that doesn’t come into it here.

“I think this is a good thing, to get something developed for the area, and not to see everything going to Wrexham and Flintshire.”

He felt it was “in the right place” and “easy to reach” for people in Bangor but also Caernarfon, Pwllheli, Llandudno and Anglesey.

“I think it’s the best option we have had for this site,” he added.

Following the vote, Chair Cllr Elwyn Edwards announced there were 11 in favour, with no objections or abstentions.