43 new houses approved on the north Wales coast

A planning inspector has allowed an appeal for the construction of 43 dwellings, including 13 affordable units, on grazing land on the eastern edge of Llanfairfechan in Conwy, north Wales.

The local planning authority, Conwy County Borough Council, had refused planning permission, citing conflict with local and national planning policies which direct housing development to locations within settlement boundaries.

The inspector allowed the appeal following a hearing, concluding that the site would be accessible for most users, supporting sustainable travel choices in line with national and local planning policies. Routes to Llanfairfechan town centre were found to be within an acceptable walking distance of local services and facilities, and the proposal would contribute towards improvements to the existing active travel connection.

The inspector acknowledged that the appeal site is a greenfield site located outside the settlement boundary and that the proposal would be contrary to the spatial framework of the development plan. However, Conwy faces a significant housing delivery shortfall, quantified at 2,813 units or 40% below the Local Development Plan requirement. In the absence of sequentially preferable, realistic and deliverable alternatives, the inspector found that the scheme would help to address this significant shortfall and that these considerations attracted significant weight in favour of the appeal.

In the final planning balance, the inspector was satisfied that the proposal complies with the development plan as a whole, notwithstanding the locational conflict with the spatial strategy.

Gwion Lewis KC, instructed by Justin Paul of J10 Planning in Chester, acted for the successful appellant, Coastal Construction (NW) Ltd.