Councillors to revisit seaside car park plans after backing scheme against officers’ advice

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

Plans to expand a seaside car park are set to be redebated by councillors after they voted to approve the proposals against planning officers’ advice over flood risk concerns.

The application, submitted by Conwy County Council itself, sought permission for 17 grasscrete car parking spaces at the Llanfairfechan Car Park in the Bryn ward.

The planning committee approved the plans in September, subject to satisfactory comments from the council’s ecologist.

But the decision went against the advice of planning officers – who had recommended that the application should be refused due to flooding concerns.

Consequently, members of the committee will be asked this week whether they wish to formally reaffirm their resolution to approve the scheme – as is standard when councillors vote against officers’ advice.

The Local Democracy Reporting Service originally reported in June 2025 that improvement works at the car park were yet to be carried out due to negotiations with Natural Resources Wales (NRW), who had flooding concerns.

The council announced in 2024 that the free car park at Llanfairfechan, along with several others across the county, would see parking charges introduced.

The authority said the improvement works would include improving drainage, installing EV charging points, and adding what was then 18 grasscrete parking spaces in the overflow section.

But the planning report stated: “The proposal fails to comply with the requirements of the previous TAN15 and is therefore unacceptable in terms of flood risk.”

Councillors, though, voted in favour of the scheme at September’s planning committee, with one councillor describing the proposed refusal as “over-cautious”.

If the decision to approve is reaffirmed, the new spaces will be located to the southeast of the existing car park, running parallel with the promenade.

The planning application will be discussed at Conwy County Council’s Coed Pella HQ on Wednesday, 14 October.

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