Opposition to chalets at game shoot

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

A day after plans to turn the small village of Trelystan into a wedding destination, local opposition has been highlighted to plans for holiday chalets at a game shooting site.

Yesterday we reported that plans had been submitted to erect a temporary facility next to the village’s ancient church to attract £1.6 million in wedding revenue every year.

And now Cambrian Birds, who say they welcome 6,000 visitors to Montgomeryshire every year through their four shoots, want to turn their local facility into a year-round holiday destination. 

In December, the applicants had an application to build four holiday chalets and all associated works at Rhos Farm on the southern tip of the Long Mountain, rejected by planning officers.

But despite the changes made in the new application addressing these issues, there is still opposition in the area to the proposals from Trewern Community Council.

Council clerk Angela Evans, said: “We object to this application from a highways point of view, as the access to this site would be along extremely narrow roads.

“We are also unsure of the impact the chalets would have on the landscape, which is again a cause for concern.”

The Powys County Councillor for the area,  Cllr Amanda Jenner (Conservative) said: “I would like to call in the application for decision by the planning committee.”

Cllr Jenner has also said that she objects to the development and raised several points of concern.

These are the impacts on the landscape, highways access and the potential for residents to be overlooked by the chalets.

Agent, Geraint Jones of McCartney planning and surveying, said: “The applicants are one of the major game shooting enterprises in Mid-Wales. running four large commercial shoots with locations including Welshpool, Churchstoke, Llangurig and Machynlleth.

“In the 2019/2020 season the business attracted approximately 6,000 visitors to Mid Wales from around the UK and abroad, with plans to further increase these numbers in future years.”

Mr Jones explained that game shooting is seasonal and restricted to between September 1 and February 1.

Mr Jones said: “The business is looking to expand its enterprise into the spring and summer months by offering short stay holiday accommodation in this beautiful part of Mid-Wales and in turn converting what is now part term employment to full term employment opportunities for a number of its staff.”

Mr Jones says that the site would offer a “beautiful rural retreat” to the holidaymaker and still only be a 10-minute drive from the shops in Welshpool.

Mr Jones added: “The proposal has been set within the corner of the field to help avoid any potential impacts to the nearby dwellings, with further improvements to the local highway network, which will not only benefit the visitors to the site, but the local community as a whole.”

There is one property 95 metres to the north east of the site, however due to the orientation and the topography, Mr Jones says “the proposal does not overlook this dwelling”.

The application will be decided in due course.