A 14-PITCH touring caravan park planned for a rural area of Anglesey where red squirrels have been seen will come before planners.
Measures to protect any potential impact on habitats for red squirrels, nesting birds, reptiles, bats and hedgehogs and other species are recommended in a Llanbedrgoch planning application being considered by Anglesey County Council.
The development is proposed at Esgobaeth Bran on the road from Llanbedrgoch Square, past Gwenfro Isaf to the junction near Bedd Y Wrach.
The application was submitted by Mr and Mrs Brian Jones, through agent Mr Berwyn Owen, of Berllan Properties Ltd, in July, 2021.
The plans call for “a change of use of agricultural land into a touring caravan park, change of use of existing building to use ancillary to the caravan park together with the installation of a package treatment plant.”
The 0.29 hectare development area is on a vacant parcel of land on a larger farm complex.
The application says the scheme has a “landscape strategy that proposes to supplement existing planting with native hedgerow and woodland planting to the site boundaries.”
The plans also include an extensive habitat survey report by Cambrian Ecology Ltd.
It recommends “precautionary measures” during the site clearance stage of development to protect wildlife and habitats.
It notes “a red squirrel was observed during the survey within the field and then in the semi-mature ash tree line.”
“No signs of any squirrel dreys [nests] were recorded.”
It also said there had been “six records of red squirrels within the search area, the nearest being just over 300m away.”
To prevent any impact on the protected species it advised that any tree removal be carried out outside of the red squirrel breeding season, March 1 – 31.
If that was not possible an “inspection of the ash tree line, and a thorough search for dreys should be carried out by an ecologist immediately prior to any tree removal works.” It states.
The plans included tree planting “a selection of species will be used, particularly those which will be of benefit to red squirrels.”
It also recommended placing two squirrel boxes on mature trees and use of bat boxes.
No bat roosts were recorded in trees but there was “a potential” for bats foraging and commuting across the area, new lighting was recommended.
There was also potential for “negative impact” on nesting bird habitat, particularly swallows during the work phase.
Reptiles, such as adders and lizards, could also potentially be living in stone piles.
To prevent any “inadvertent harm,” the removal of stone piles and tall ruderal vegetation “should be supervised and directed by a site ecologist” so any animals could be moved to safety.
On traffic issues, the plans describe how a route for caravan visitors “would be advertised,” directing them from the A55, J8, towards Porthaethwy / Amlwch.
They would follow the A5025 for two miles, through Pentraeth village, turning left at the Llanbedrgoch / Llannerch-Y-Medd junction.
The route would continue to Llanbedrgoch, turn left onto Lon Gwenfro, along the road to the site “clearly signposted” on the right.
Visitors would check in from 2pm, though earlier times could be arranged, checking out would be before 11am.
“This ensures that there is a sufficient window of time when the touring caravan pitches are empty and touring caravans would not be arriving/departing at the same time, and therefore affecting the highway network.” The report states.
According to council’s planning documents, the planning committee will consider the development, on June 7, 2023.
