TWO extensions will be built at a Llandudno special school following Conwy’s planning committee reaching a unanimous decision today (Wednesday).
The committee voted in favour of approving the council’s own application to build at Ysgol y Gogarth on Nant y Gamar Road, Craig y Don.
The school will now build additional teaching and dining accommodation on an area of grassland.
The first extension will be built to the north-west of the main school building, and the second two-storey structure will be erected at the north-east elevation of the main school.
Both structures will match the existing building.
The council received two letters of objection regarding parking, but these were dismissed as the chamber heard pupil numbers at the school wouldn’t change because of the development.
There were some concerns of the plans ‘impinging’ on a green wedge area, but councillors heard this would be by just one metre.
Cllr Chris Cater proposed councillors backed the plans.
He said: “As members of this committee will know, I am a great supporter of green-wedge and landscape conservation designations.
“They are there for a reason, and they bring a presumption against applications that undermine these designated areas. I have no problem with this application as at the most it is going to impinge one metre, and it will be impinging not with a building but with the landscaping that is part of the development, so the positives of this application are tremendous, a much better facility, the fact that the temporary classrooms will be removed and play areas will be reinstated there. So I welcome this application, and I see no evidence of coalescence of settlement and negative effects on the open characteristics of the area.”
Cllr Mandy Hawkins added: “I couldn’t agree more. I know how important this school is. It is the only specialist school of its type that we’ve got in the county.”
The north-east extension will provide additional classrooms and ancillary toilets, storerooms, and calming rooms. This extension, the school claim, will prevent the need to use temporary cabin classrooms, which will be removed so the land can be reinstated as play areas.
The north-west extension will enlarge the dining room, which the school says is currently inadequate for the number of pupils, providing an additional classroom and therapy room on the first floor.
