Planners approve 23 new houses in Llanddulas

Aug 19 2008 By Judith Phillips

COUNCILLORS have done a u-turn on an application to build 23 houses in Llanddulas after being warned the council would lose an appeal.

Despite opposition from residents and a strong plea from local councillor Brenda Taylor, members of Conwy's planning committee were told they had no grounds to refuse the application from Beech Developments to build the homes on land off Station Road.

At its May meeting the committee it turned down, saying the increase in traffic generated by the scheme would be unacceptable and 23 houses was overdevelopment of the site. But Beech Developments said they would appeal, and council officers warned they would win.

Representing Beech Developments, planning consultant Stephen Goodwin said: "The scheme is in accordance with national policy on density and will have landscaping and open spaces. It meets national guidelines and in my view a refusal woud not be defensible at appeal."

But Cllr Taylor argued that residents of Station Road were worried about the extra traffic generated by the scheme and the impact on the local environment.

"Democracy should prevail, we should listen to the people. This road is already choc-a-block and there are further two developments pending in the village and we are proposing to impose more inconvenience on people," she said.

But Cllr Brian Cossey felt councillors had no choice but to approve the scheme.

"Unfortunately our refusal reasons wouldn’t be sustainable at a public inquiry. I understand where Cllr Taylor is coming from, but on planning grounds there is no defence against this application," he said.