Tourism accommodation looking like 'giant golf balls' approved at border village

Powys County Council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing and Rights of Ways committee received a retrospective planning application by Robert and Margaret Pownall for the siting of four “geodome” tents and four decking areas for outdoor baths and a barbecue area at Laburnum House, Brynmawr near Llanymynech.

The application also covers the formation of access pathways and car parking, proposed installation toilet facilities, installation of a sewage treatment plant and construction of two passing places.

A previous planning application was refused by Powys planners back in February and three of the geodome tents have already been sited there.

Brynmawr is in the Powys council ward of councillor Arwel Jones who urged the committee at its meeting on Thursday, to refuse the proposal or at least “defer” a decision until they conduct a site visit.

Councillor Jones said: “There are many reasons to reject this application, impact on highways, parking, does not allow safe and efficient flow of traffic and landscaping to name a few.”

Llandysilio community council had also raised objections to the proposal and were represented at the planning meeting by their clerk, Carol Davies.

Mrs Davies pointed out that a scheme for three holiday lodges at Laburnum House had been approved in the past.

Mrs Davies said: “How can we stress enough that this is the maximum that should be allowed in this location due to the constraints of a narrow single track lane with limited passing places.”

Two new passing bays are built on the road up to the site are supposed to be built as part of the scheme.

Mrs Davies said: “No guaranteed location has been found for these bays.

“These domes appeared on our landscape as giant golf balls visible for many miles around, it is frankly ridiculous to suggest they can be coated in green paint and repainted every six months.

“What we have learnt over the last nine months is that the applicant does not comply with any enforcement or planning conditions.”

Planning agent for the Pownalls, Oliver Evans of Morris, Marshall and Poole explained that lessons had been learnt from the previous application.

Mr Evans explained that the principle of development was acceptable in the application refused in February, but there were two main points of refusal that the applicants had tried to address in the new application.

Mr Evans said: “As there were concerns about the white golf ball look, we’re now proposing to paint them green which will be topped up every six months to blend the geodome tents into the landscape.

“We’ve looked to address the complaints about the increase of traffic with highways officers and propose to construct two passing bays.”

He added that they also now proposed improving the screening around the outdoor baths and the whole site with more planting of hedgerows.

Senior planning officer Kate Bowen believed that the alterations put forward by the applicants had “overcome” the reasons for past refusal and recommended that the proposal is given “conditional consent.”

Councillor Claire Hall asked where the two passing bays would be sited on the road up to Laburnum House.

Powys highway authority officer Simon Crew said: “There is plenty of availability within the highways verges to construct passing bays.”

Councillor Jonathan Wilkinson said: “We’ve seen a history of the level of compliance that has fallen short of what we’d normally expect as a planning authority, are we to discount that in our considerations.”

Councillor Wilkins said it was a “concern” for him that conditions placed on approval would not be carried out.

Committee solicitor Rachel Moles said: “You are considering the application that’s before you and judge it on its own merits irrespective of other matters.”

Councillor Gareth Pugh proposed a motion to approve the application with conditions in line with officer’s recommendations.

This was seconded by Councillor Huw Williams and the committee moved to a vote.

A majority of nine councillors voted to approve the application while three councillors abstained.