Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter
Plans for eight new homes in a north Wales city have been recommended for approval by council planning officers, though residents have voiced concerns over parking and road safety.
Cyngor Gwynedd’s planning committee is to consider an application for the provision of eight homes with integrated garages at Maes Berea at a meeting on Monday, 19 October.
The houses would be arranged as four pairs of semi-detached homes instead an alternative previous proposal to build three terraces of three.
Planning officers have recommended the proposal be approved, subject to amending the 106 agreement for the scheme and to secure two affordable units.
The proposal describes the development site as “steep with land rising from the front, which abuts the existing access road towards the Maes Berea estate; a housing estate with a mix of two-storey and three-storey houses”.
It added: “Abutting the north-westerly boundary of the site on elevated land is the site of Capel Berea Newydd, whilst a public footpath runs along the north-easterly boundary of the site and residential houses lie beyond that.
“On the other side of the access road in front of the site on a much lower land level, there is a yard which serves the substantial commercial unit of St David’s Shopping Centre.”
The plans describe eight houses of a “similar design” with three bedrooms and a bathroom on the third floor, living space/kitchen on the first floor and a garage, multi-purpose room, toilet and garage on the ground floor.
“The site is the subject of a 106 agreement to ensure that two affordable units are provided as part of the previously agreed plan and the current proposal also proposes two units as affordable houses,” the planning documents noted.
“The intention is to locate two parking spaces in front of every house with gardens to the rear and the form, size and construction of the proposed houses reflect the construction of other houses nearby.”
During consultation the council’s housing unit had noted that 2,103 people were on the Housing Options register for a social property with a five-year connection to Gwynedd, and 882 people were on the Tai Teg register.
The education unit had also confirmed there was “capacity in local secondary and primary schools”.
The footpath unit had insisted “the applicant will need to ensure that the public footpath remains open and available for users before and after this development, as well as ensuring public safety measures”.
Concerns from members of the public included “that the development will increase on-street parking that will create an obstruction to nearby residents” and the development being on a bend with fears it could “create a new hazard on the highway”.
Plans noted the principle of developing nine dwellings on the site of the size and nature proposed had already been accepted through a previous planning consent.
“The only change in the nature of the development is the loss of one house from the plan,” it said.
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