Log cabin plans for Flintshire holiday park rejected due to impact on countryside

Liam Randall, local democracy reporter

Plans to build ten log cabins at a holiday park in Flintshire have been refused following concerns it would have a negative impact on the countryside.

Proposals were submitted in January to upgrade facilities at Ynyshir Farm Holiday Park in the village of Picton, near Llanasa.

It came after a previous application to create 17 lodges at the same site was rejected by Flintshire Council officials towards the end of last year.

Agents acting on behalf of Paul Edwards, who owns the park, said the latest scheme would inject £500,000 a year into the local economy.

However, a planning officer has now denied permission for the proposals after claiming it would harm the appearance of the area.

In a report, Mark Harris said the plans would also result in the overdevelopment of the site.

He said: “The site is situated wholly within the open countryside and the erection of ten holiday cabins, which are two-storey in nature, is considered excessive in scale.

“This current application is characterised by its regimented form and layout with limited space between the units with no structural landscaping proposed to help assimilate development into the site and surroundings.

“This would result in overdevelopment of the site to the detriment of the character of the landscape.

“It is therefore considered that the scale, number, siting and layout of the cabins is inappropriate to the characteristics of the site and the locality.”

Several objections were submitted against the proposals, including by members of Llanasa Community Council.

They raised a number of issues, including access to the site and the lack of facilities nearby.

Mr Harris said no objections had been raised by the council’s highways department regarding the access arrangements.

However, while he said the general principle of a tourist development was acceptable, he added that the nature of the scheme meant it should be refused.