Static caravan restrictions eased near Welsh lake

Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Static caravan owners who regularly visit a site near one of Wales’ most popular lakes will not have to stay away for large chunks of the year from now on.

This is because Powys county planners have agreed to remove restrictions dating from the 1970s which say when people can stay at Fronheulog caravan park at Llanwddyn, which is around a mile from Lake Vyrnwy.

A planning application by Neil Jones was lodged with Powys County Council back in March to remove two conditions, numbered four and nine, which were attached to permission granted for a development at the site back in February 1979.

Planning agent Nia Lewis explained the proposal: “The park is made up of various planning consents which have been obtained over many years.

“These approvals have varying conditions particularly in relation to the seasonal occupancy dates.

“The purpose of this application is to bring in line the seasonal occupancy dates of the various operating consents.”

Conditions

Planning condition number four stipulated that: “The caravans stationed on the site shall not be used for human habitation between November 1 and the last Friday before Good Friday apart from a fortnight’s occupation over Christmas and New Year.”

Condition nine said: “The development shall be occupied as holiday accommodation only and shall not be occupied as a person’s sole or main place of residence.

“An up to date register shall be kept at the holiday accommodation hereby permitted and be made available for inspection by the local planning authority upon request.

“The register shall contain details of the names of all of the occupiers of the accommodation, their main home addresses and their date of arrival and departure from the accommodation.”

Senior planning officer Kate Bowen said: “As the application seeks only to vary the occupancy conditions it is not considered that the proposal impacts upon other material considerations from the original consent.”

But in the intervening 46 years planning policy has been updated with new and updated national polices now in force.

Tourism

Mrs Bowen said: “The thrust of planning policy remains supportive to tourism development and the proposed variation of the occupancy conditions would further support an existing tourism enterprise.

“It is recommended that condition four is removed and condition nine is varied to the standard holiday occupancy condition recommended by Welsh Government.”

A new condition now placed on the historic permission does still say that the caravans are for holiday use only and should not be a person’s “sole or main place of residence.”

The establishment of the caravan park goes back to 1958 and over the years development of the site has seen touring pitches make way for static caravans which are owned privately.