Caravan park extension plans in Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty refused

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter 

A bid to extend a seasonal touring caravan park in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty has been refused.

Members of Cyngor Gwynedd’s planning committee followed the planning officer’s recommendation to reject a scheme at Fferm Tir Glyn Caravan Park near Uwchmynydd, on the Llŷn Peninsula.

Planners had considered a change of use of an agricultural field to accommodate 10 seasonal touring caravan pitches, additional to a main site, during Cyngor Gwynedd’s planning meeting on Monday, September 7.

They would operate seasonally, between March and October. The proposal also requested permission for the erection of a toilet/shower block, soft landscape improvements, creation of proposed entrance/exit and installation of a treatment plant.

The remainder of the site included agricultural buildings, outbuildings and two residential dwellings.

There was already planning permission for 39 touring caravans on fields to the north and north-east of the application site.

Land to the north of the existing application site was approved to store up to 15 touring caravans, all year.

The whole site is in open countryside, within the Llŷn AONB, the Llŷn and Enlli Landscape of Outstanding Historic Interest and partly within the Porth Meudwy wildlife site.

It fell partly in a Flood Zone. Concerns over the potential “harmful impact” to the quality of the AONB landscape and that it would “not integrate appropriately to its location in open countryside” were raised.

There were also concerns over the entrance, where there was believed to be “potential for mud and loose material to be spilled onto the public highway” and a “possibility of damage to the roadsides due to increased traffic”.

Among the reasons planning bosses recommended for refusal was that “no flood risk or drainage assessments” had been received.

It was concluded “there was no choice but to refuse” the plan.

Difficult to operate 

Fiona Roberts, daughter-in-law of the applicant John Roberts, who owns the dairy farm, described how the business is run by a local Welsh-speaking family, who have provided camping sites since the 1960s, including for Girl Guides, the Boys’ Brigade and Scouts.

The proposed field was “small and narrow” and they were “finding it difficult to fully operate and maintain to modern agricultural standards,” she said.

The location, she added, was “already well screened and private and not in a prominent location to affect the landscape”.

“Screening was not required as the site was in a low level position below the road,” and use of an existing access was suggested.

Running the site would add to the farm’s “overall productivity” and would “benefit us as a family helping to diversify, create greater financial stability and contribute to the wider local economy,” she said.

Local member Councillor Gareth Williams said the site was a 70-acre dairy farm “at the far end of Pen Llyn” and had operated as a site for caravans since 1950.

“There is strong demand for more pitches there,” he said.

It was “a fair point” there was no drainage statement but the applicant was “happy to commission one,” he said.

He called for support for “a local farming family, working hard to keep the family farm and next generation going”.

Help farmers

Cllr Louise Hughes said she felt the local member’s points were “extremely pertinent,” and urged the committee “to do the utmost to help farmers who are absolutely up against it”.

There were also calls to give the applicants more time to gather required information and for a site visit, but this was rejected.

The council’s head of environment Gareth Jones outlined a number of areas leading to the planners’ recommendation to refuse, including insufficient information being given, concerns over the impact on the AONB and a “substandard entrance”.

He said he was “not aware of additional information supplied” regarding the use of the existing entrance, but said it was “possible there was a solution”.

Regarding the Flood Zone, he said “there has been no assessment of the impacts, we must understand these before we can approve”.

Cllr Dafydd Meurig propose refusal based on there being “not a full or complete application,” and the proposal was refused.

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