A DEVELOPER was given permission to build eight homes for travelling show people after a decision by Conwy’s planning committee, despite council officers advising councillors reject the proposals.
The eight new park homes at Gors Farm on Gors Road in Towyn will see the number of homes on the existing site rise from 13 to 21.
The planning application was submitted by Mr C. Holden and will provide homes for travellers working at Towyn’s fairgrounds and arcades.
But both Welsh Water and Natural Resources Wales objected to the plans due to the risk of surface-water flooding, and council officers advised that the plans should be rejected.
But several councillors believed the risk of flooding was negated by the need to support the local economy.
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Cllr Nigel Smith was one of several councillors who believed the developer should get the green light.
“I was quite surprised we weren’t having a site visit for this application, but it has only actually failed on one thing, which is flood risk, which is a surprise to me because if you travel all over the coastal plane of Towyn and Kinmel Bay, it sticks up like a sore thumb. It is in a highly raised area and highly visible,” he said.
Cllr Smith then read out planning guidance, explaining planning permission should only be granted in a flood-risk zone if the council could justify it in terms of regeneration or sustaining an existing settlement.
“We already know through our travel and needs assessment that there is a need for these additional units for this travelling community, and it will help sustain that community, so I feel it fits well with that,” he said.
“It also needs to contribute towards key employment. Towyn and Kinmel Bay is probably the only area in Conwy that has a large proportion of travelling showmen. We have two fairgrounds, arcades, burger stores, cafes, retail units, and they are all run by the showmen and their families.”
He added: “So I think it contributes to key employment.”
Cllr Andrew Wood proposed the committee backed the plans, and this was seconded by Cllr Nigel Smith.
Councillors unanimously voted in favour of backing the plans.
The application will return to planning in September to be reaffirmed due to councillors going against officers’ advice.
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