CEREDIGION councillors have backed “very large” Aberaeron home for a local undertaker’s daughter and family against an officer recommendation of refusal following a site visit to see the scheme for themselves.
At the May meeting of Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee, members were recommended to refuse an application by Sion and local undertaker’s daughter Nicola Clarke of Dihewyd, through agent Morgan & Flynn Architectural Services, for an open market dwelling on land adjacent to Gwelfro Bryn Road, Aberaeron.
Aberaeron Town Council objected to the application due to concerns that the proposed dwelling is not in keeping with the existing dwellings at that location and that it falls outside the LDP development line for the town.
It was recommended that the application be refused as it is outside of the settlement boundary of Aberaeron and does not comply with exception policy given that the proposal is not presented as an affordable dwelling or would qualify as such, and “the site is visually intrusive and the size of the dwelling is out of keeping with the character of the area”.
An officer report said the proposed four-bed 288m² house included a valuation of some £480,000.
It added: “In terms of need, given that 100 of the 131 allocated units have already come forward in the service centre it is difficult to argue that housing in Aberaeron have not been provided. This is more so given the number of properties available on the open market which would indicate that there is potentially no further need for more open market dwellings.”
The application was before the committee rather than being decided by officer at the request of local member Cllr Elizabeth Evans who said it is within the community of Aberaeron even though it sits outside the LDP boundary line, a natural extension of Bryn Road.
She cited “very attractive” highway improvements offered by the applicants which “will alleviate what is an ongoing highway issue for emergency services trying to access Bryn Y Mor estate”.
At the request of Cllr Gareth Lloyd, members agreed to go against the officer recommendation of refusal at that meeting, in favour of a site visit, the application returning to the June development management committee, again recommended for refusal.
Speaking at that meeting, Cllr Evans said the site visit had proven useful and that even though the proposal was outside the settlement boundary it was “considered by everyone in Aberaeron as part of Aberaeron,” again adding the “highway improvements cannot be underestimated,” with “not a week going by” without some incident linked with Bryn Road.
She was backed by Cllr Marc Davis who moved members went against the officer recommendation of refusal, describing it as “a common-sense application” which would “give a young family an opportunity to build a home”.
Cllr Rhodri Evans said the site visit had shown the proposal would not be as visible as feared, and the “planning gain will be substantial”.
Members backed approval against the officer recommendation.
