PLANS to redevelop part of the United Counties Showground for use as a caravan and motorhome sales yard were passed by the Carmarthenshire County Council’s Planning Committee on Tuesday (Mar 15) after the committee decided that the business benefits outweighed the officer recommendations.
Introducing the officers’ report, Stephen Thomas said that the 4.9 hectare site, on the east of the showground, was mainly grassed, with some small structures on site.
He pointed out that some of the site fell within the ’100 year flood line’ but added that this area would not be utilised, and that NRW had recommended carrying out hydraulic modelling on the site.
Mr Thomas said that the business, 3As Leisure, had outgrown their existing spaces in Stephens Way and Cross Hands, but added that the Cross Hands premises would remain open.
The company suggested that 26 new jobs would be created by the development, with a further 24 staff relocating to the Showground.
In concluding, Mr Thomas said that the application provided an opportunity to contrast the economic arguments for the developments against the policy constraints.
However, the impact of the building, which is outside the Local Development Plan, on the open countryside, as well as other concerns about sustainability meant that t was recommended for refusal.
Local County Councillor Jeff Thomas was unable to attend the meeting, so fellow Carmarthen County Councillor Peter Hughes Griffiths read out a list of points that Cllr Thomas thought should be considered.
Cllr Hughes Griffiths made it clear that while the points he was discussing were observations made by Cllr Thomas, it was important to understand that these thoughts were shared by other local members.
It was pointed out that a Welsh Government-funded road had been created in this area ‘specifically for development.’
Cllr Hughes Griffiths also said that 50 acres of land remained for United Counties Showground use: “It is important for the Carmarthenshire economy that this carries on,” he added.
It was also noted that 3As had been ‘very happy’ to work with the planning department, and had modified the buildings to reduce environmental impact.
Councillor Ken Howell said that he was ‘at a loss’ to understand why the plans had been recommended for refusal.
“If we refuse this, we may as well put signs up on every road saying that Carmarthenshire is closed for business,” he added.
Councillor Peter Cooper said that there were already several buildings on the site, and the new buildings would be an improvement on what is currently there.
Cllr Cooper was also ‘concerned’ that if the officer recommendation was followed then Carmarthenshire would ‘lose out,’ and the business would relocate to Pembrokeshire or elsewhere. “They would find room for it, no problem,” he added.
However, Councillor Anthony Jones said he was concerned by ‘conflicting’ reports about the number of jobs which would be created.
Commenting on the flood risk on part of the site, he also asked whether there were reasons why the site had been included in the UDP, but not in the subsequent LDP.
“I remain sympathetic, and would like to see local businesses expand,” he added, before asking for clarification on how many jobs would be created and which of the existing sites would remain open.
Chair of the Planning Committee Councillor Alun Lenny asked why, ‘given that there is not unlimited development land in Carmarthenshire, why is this site no longer in the LDP?’
Head of Planning Julian Edwards said that there was something of a ‘policy void’ in terms of development on the site. He added that without hydraulic modelling any flood predictions would be ‘hypothetical.’
To clarify why the site had been removed from the LDP, Steve Murphy said that the land had been earmarked for development as an ‘agricultural hub’ under the UDP.
However, the LDP placed more emphasis on whether projects could be finished within the lifetime of the plan. However, he added, proposals ‘in line with the original development plan’ could still have been considered.
Cllr Jones asked whether the site was still large enough when the area in the flood zone was taken out of consideration, and was told that it would be reduced by 1.6 hectares.
However, other councillors pointed out that caravans were movable, and at less risk from flooding.
Councillor Jeff Owen said that the flood line was ‘put on by insurance companies 10 years ago. “It takes a long time for the Towy to come up, and you can see it happening,” he added.
The committee voted in favour of the development.
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