Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

The regeneration of Llanelli Town Centre could be boosted by a more streamlined planning process, making it easier for developers to take over empty shops says Carmarthenshire County Council’s Executive Board. Members have recommended to Full Council that the authority holds a public consultation on introducing a Local Development Order (LDO) into the centre, which would remove the need for developers or applicants to make a formal planning application for change of use. The order is intended to help attract investment to the area, and to support existing businesses by giving certainty for developers, reducing timescales and reducing the costs associated with making a planning application. Subject to full council approval, residents will be asked for their views during a six-week consultation which will help form the council’s decision on whether or not to adopt the LDO. The council’s executive board member for planning, Cllr Mair Stephens, said: “The LDO would provide an attractive ...

More than 60 new council homes could soon be built in Carmarthenshire. Development of 61 homes would begin in Dylan, Llwynhendy; Garreglwyd, Pembrey; Maespiode, Llandybie and Pantycelyn in Llandovery after Carmarthenshire Council’s Executive Board members agreed this week to move forward with phase one of an £8.5million investment to grow the local authority’s housing stock over the next two years. Building could be begin in March next year. The council is also adding new homes to its stock at an average rate of one a week by buying suitable properties on the open market – nearly 20 homes have been bought already this year at a cost of £1.7million, with the needs of specific families in mind. Carmarthenshire is one of only half of Welsh local authorities to retain its housing stock, and became the first in Wales to build new council accommodation since the 80s when it developed 12 new homes in 2014 – an act followed up shortly later when it became the first in Wales to suspend its Ri...

An Ammanford man has been prosecuted for failing to obey a notice to stop living at his business premises. Phillip Lewis pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court on Monday to breaching an enforcement notice issued by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court heard that Mr Lewis was living in a caravan at the commercial premises Enclosure Tec in Shands Road, Ammanford, without the benefit of planning permission. In addition he had attached an extension to the caravan, created an amenity space with several dog kennels, and also converted an office building into two residential flats both without the benefit of planning permission. Mr Lewis was served with an enforcement notice seeking removal of the caravan and extension and to cease residential use of the land with which he did not comply. He was also required to revert the unauthorised residential flats to office space, with which he did comply. He was fined £300, and ordered to pay £282.70 costs and a victim surcharge of £30. Car...

Carmarthenshire planning committee has deferred consideration of proposals for a retail park at Cross Hands following a late intervention by representatives of the Co-op. The committee was due to discuss an application by Conygar Cross Hands Ltd for a retail park on land at Cross Hands West where Sainsbury’s had previously planned to build a supermarket. Permission for a supermarket and petrol station already exists. The meeting was briefly adjourned for councillors to read correspondence sent by consultants for the Co-op. Head of planning Llinos Quelch told the committee that since the report on the application had been prepared an application had come in for further development of the Co-op store in Cross Hands. That application was in the system but had not yet been registered. The council received a letter from consultants on behalf of the Co-op saying they had objections that the retail park plan should not be considered without all the information being presented to the committ...

Ambitious plans to redevelop Burry Port have moved a step closer today as the Welsh Government has lifted a stopper notice preventing approval of a major element of the proposals. Yesterday’s meeting of the county council’s planning committee unanimously voted that it was minded to approve six planning applications - for up to 230 homes at the former Grillo site, for infrastructure for that site, for a 134 unit housing development alongside the former Grillo site, for construction of a 330-place Welsh Medium Primary School off Burrows Terrace, for a commercial leisure development at Burry Port Harbour East, for employment space alongside Silver Terrace. The council could not make a decision to actually grant permission following a Welsh Government intervention before the previous planning committee giving formal notice under Article 18 that it was not in a position to approve any of the six applications including the school. But today the Welsh Government removed the notice covering...

A decision on ambitious plans to redevelop a large area of Burry Port has been deferred after a last-minute Welsh Government intervention. A meeting of Carmarthenshire County Council’s planning committee had been due to consider six planning applications – for up to 230 homes at the former Grillo site, for infrastructure for that site, for a 134 unit housing development alongside the former Grillo site, for construction of a 330-place Welsh Medium Primary School off Burrows Terrace, for a commercial leisure development at Burry Port Harbour East, for employment space alongside Silver Terrace. Head of planning Eifion Bowen told the meeting that he had yesterday received an e-mail from the Welsh Government referring to a letter from 2010 instructing the authority not to approve the Grillo application. This was in response to a request by a third party to call in the applications. Then, shortly before the planning committee Mr Bowen received an email from the Welsh Government directing...

Aberystwyth University is investigating the feasibility of generating its own wind energy with three wind turbines. As a way of meeting its sustainability targets, and minimise future energy costs, the University is undertaking a feasibility study to establish what the planning and business requirements would be. If constructed, the three 250 kilowatt turbine Aberystwyth University Sustainable Future project could generate enough electricity to meet up to 10 per cent of the University’s current annual electricity needs, and save the University a significant predicted amount in running costs over the 20 year life of the turbines. The University has submitted a screening opinion to Ceredigion County Council to request further information on the requirements for developing the scheme. The University will hold a three-week consultation with Aberystwyth students, residents and staff, starting with a public exhibition from 7pm on Thursday, January 28th The project, which would cost about £...

An Amman Valley woman has been prosecuted for failing to take down an unauthorised stable block. Linda Martin Thomas appeared before Carmarthen Magistrates where she pleaded guilty to an offence contrary to Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. The court was told that she was initially served with a Planning Contravention Notice for identified breaches of planning control by putting up a stable block on land near Penywaun, Grenig Road, Glannamman. She submitted a retrospective planning application which was subsequently refused and as a result was served with a Planning Enforcement Notice on August 31, 2012, that required her to remove the unauthorised stable block, material that formed the hard standing where it was sited, and required her to return the land to its former state. Thomas, of Cwmamman Road, Glanamman, appealed against the enforcement notice but the Welsh Planning Inspectorate dismissed the appeal and upheld the notice requirements. The Inspector d...

A cross-party scrutiny working group has proposed a number of recommendations for changes to planning enforcement in Carmarthenshire. The final report of the Community Scrutiny Task and Finish Group will now go before the  Executive Board at its next meeting on Monday, July 28. The politically balanced group was chaired by Cllr. Anthony Jones and included co-opted members from the Planning Committee. Cllr. Jones said: “Planning is one of the most sensitive and potentially contentious services that we provide. “The current planning enforcement protocol had not been reviewed since 2005 so it was high time it was looked at again. “We wanted to produce a protocol that provided clarity around different planning activities as well as our approach to and how we prioritise enforcement activity. “The group worked well together, with the support of officers, there was complete cross- party agreement, and we have come forward with a number of recommendations which we hope will achieve...

Llandeilo businessman Simon Buckley has published innovative plans to renovate Llandeilo's historic Market Hall. The chief executive of the Evan-Evans brewery has sent his draft document to Carmarthenshire Council. Here is what the document says -  Llandeilo Land The Old Market Hall Expression of Interest Introduction The Old Market hall is an important historic building in the centre of Llandeilo. The building is run down and dilapidated, and represents a major challenge for the development of a commercial hub that will serve as the launchpad for the creation of jobs, and the development of ancillary internet-based businesses. This plan sets out the proposal for a novel and dynamic approach to bringing this building back to life and creating the necessary portal for jobs and wealth creation. This is a business opportunity not for private developers but for a community-based project, that will be self-financing once built and will offer a template for other communities ac...

The consultation on Carmarthenshire County Council’s proposed Focused Changes to the Local Development Plan is being extended - to give residents more time to make their views known. The consultation period was originally due to run from July 31 to September 13 but the council has made a cross-party decision to extend the deadline by four weeks to Friday October 11. This gives more time for residents who may be going away on holiday in August, or town and community councils that do not have a meeting this month, and provides a clear six weeks beyond the August holiday period and the council recess .to discuss the issues and prepare a response. Council Leader Cllr Kevin Madge said: “The original consultation period was set in accordance with statutory guidelines and the Delivery Agreement as approved by council and subsequently by the Welsh Government. “However since it falls within a holiday period all parties have agreed that the deadline should be extended to give everyone a better o...

A Carmarthenshire landowner has been prosecuted for failing to take down stable blocks built without planning permission at Golden Grove in the Tywi Valley. Richard Booth, of Pantyfedwen, Cwmgors, pleaded guilty at Carmarthen Magistrates Court to an offence contrary to Section 179 of the Town and Country Planning Act. The prosecution was brought by Carmarthenshire County Council. The court was told that Mr Booth was served with a planning enforcement notice in August 2011 to remove a number of unauthorised stable blocks he had erected without planning permission on land he owns at Penrhiw, Golden Grove. He was also required to revert the land usage back to an agricultural use from its unauthorised equine use. As he did not adhere to this request he was fined £1000 and £741.60 costs in May 2012. Mr Booth was then requested to adhere to the enforcement notice requirements again, but he did not. This month he was again fined £650 for not complying with the enforcement notice and was or...

Outline plans for a 289-house development in the Ammanford area have been approved by Carmarthenshire planners. A meeting of the county council planning committee discussed the application to develop land at Tirychen Farm, Dyffryn Road, Ammanford. This application was considered by the planning committee at its meeting last December when members resolved to refuse the application. Head of planning Eifion Bowen told the committee that an amended plan had now been submitted that sought to address the concerns expressed by members at December’s meeting. He said that the number of homes in the plan had been reduced by 47 from 336 and the area of land that extends beyond the confines of the sites’ existing allocation in the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) has now been omitted from the proposed development. He said: “With regard to the impact upon the Welsh Language, the site is allocated within the UDP as a housing site. As part of the UDP deliberations, approved by a Planning Inspector, the...

Plans by the Choose Life charity to build a new facility in Llanelli’s Copperworks Road have been adjourned so that Carmarthenshire councillors can visit the site. Choose Life has submitted a full planning application to demolish the former factory building at Bannerbrook Auto Cable Products and put up a new purpose-built community facility to provide enhanced facilities for individuals and their families affected by substance misuse. The accommodation provided would include a reception/lobby, offices, large community area, diversionary activity rooms of varying sizes, assessment rooms, a kitchen, and toilet and store room facilities. Members of the planning committee voted to adjourn the application in order to go on a site visit.

Carmarthenshire Councillors have decided that they are minded to approve an application to give developers three more years to submit detailed plans for housing at Stradey Park, Llanelli. But the Welsh Government has issued a Stopper Notice preventing the release of the decision until it has had time to consider whether or not to call in the application to make the final decision itself. A spokesman for the developers said work would start on site in three weeks time and the application was to provide them with the option to make changes to house types at a later stage. Last week's meeting of the planning committee considered an application by the developers for variation of one of the conditions of the outline planning permission to extend the outline planning time limit by a further three years for up to 450 residential units of two, three and four-bedroom detached houses, terraced houses, terraced town houses and apartments. The council’s head of planning Eifion Bowen told memb...

Cultural signs proposed | This is South Wales Interpretation panels could be on their way to historical and cultural sites across Carmarthen town centre. The town council has lodged a planning application with Carmarthenshire Council for panels giving information to the public to be put up at the Quay and on Old Oak roundabout in Priory Street.

Carmarthenshire Planning Problems and more : As I have reported countless times on this blog, Carmarthenshire Council has a real problem dealing with negative stories in the local press. I'm sure the same goes for the national press too but they're the bigger boys and will not succumb so easily to threats. I raised this issue only the other day (The question of editorial control again). The Western Mail reports on the latest attempt at 'blackmail' against one of our smaller local papers, the South Wales Guardian. More on Caebrwyn blog . . .

Call for views on plan | This is South Wales Llanelli residents are being urged to give their views on the future of a "unique" building in the town. A consultation is set to be held to shape the future of the Llanelli Railway Goods Shed, which has been left to lay in a state of disrepair for decades.

A Cwmgors man has been prosecuted and fined for failing to comply with enforcement notices to stop unauthorised use of land in Carmarthenshire. Carmarthen Magistrates Court heard that on August 2, 2011, Carmarthenshire County Council served Richard Booth of Pant y Fedwen, Cwmgors, with two planning enforcement notices regarding land in his ownership in Golden Grove. He had changed the use of the land from agriculture to an equine usage without the benefit of planning permission. He had also imported materials for the formation of a track and to create a hard standing for the siting of four stables and three field shelters. Booth had a month to appeal the notice issued but did not appeal. Therefore he was required to revert the land back to an agricultural use, remove all imported materials and remove the unauthorised structures. Booth then had 28 days from September 2, 2011, to comply with the requests laid out within the enforcement notice. Mr Booth did not comply with these requests....

The Court of Appeal has thrown out the application for a Judicial Review into the building of homes at Stradey Park. The plans by Taylor Wimpey for 355 homes on the site can now proceed, bringing with them much needed construction jobs and housing. Carmarthenshire County Council approved the plans some time ago, after campaigners lost their appeal to the Welsh Government to intervene. They then continued their fight and applied for a Judicial Review which has caused lengthy delays to the scheme. Chief Executive Mark James said: “The council is pleased to see that the Court of Appeal has upheld the fact that the process we followed was quite right and proper. “This has been an unnecessary waste of time and money, and we shall be seeking to recover our costs on behalf of the council taxpayers of Carmarthenshire. It has also meant a delay in the payments agreed with Taylor Wimpey to the County Council. “We hope that Taylor Wimpey will now get on site as soon as possible to build much nee...