Controversial building finally approved, years after being built!

By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter

Controversial plans to legitimise a warehouse built in the countryside near Arddleen several years ago have been slammed by a senior councillor.

At a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning, Taxi Licensing and Rights of Way committee on Thursday, councillors received the latest proposal to legitimise a warehouse with nearly 3000 square feer of internal space at Penrhos Farm.

The retrospective application lodged with the council by James and Rhian Owen of Triang Farms was for an “agricultural storage building” along with improvements to vehicle access and ground engineering works.

The application had been called in front of the committee by local county councillor Lucy Roberts (Conservative – Arddleen and Llandrinio) due to doubts that the building would be used for agricultural purposes. The site has a long planning history.

The couple who bought the farm a decade ago applied to change the use of agricultural buildings at the farm so that it could be used as a distribution centre for children’s outdoor play equipment firm, Rebo UK limited.

Mr Owen had said that a lack of commercial buildings in the area forced him to do this to keep his business afloat.

Over a number of years, the council tried to take enforcement action against the development while the applicants submitted new planning applications to legitimise the scheme and appealed against refusals and enforcement action against the work.

Documents lodged with Companies House show that the couple are no longer involved with Rebo UK Limited.

Senior Planning Officer, Kate Bowen, who presented a report on the application had recommended that councillors approve it.

Former Planning Committee Chair, Cllr Karl Lewis (Reform UK), said: “This has been going on for eight years. Over those years I have been contacted by businesspeople who understandably are very upset that this has been allowed to continue.

“They just run roughshod over any sort of planning enforcement we’ve ever put in front of them.”

He asked planning officers when had the enterprise park been built in Welshpool?

Planning Committee Chair, Cllr Gareth D Jones (Powys Independents), said: “I’m not quite sure what that has to do with the application we are discussing today?”

Cllr Lewis explained that there was space at the enterprise park to take Mr Owen’s business when the initial issues had emerged.

Cllr Lewis said: “I just find the planning department have been totally impotent and toothless in this matter. If we do approve this today, what message does it send to the people and businesses of Powys.”

Cllr Jones reminded councillors that they had to deal with the application that was in front of them.

Cllr Jonathan Wilkinson (Conservative) said: “Going back to 2017/2018 it’s pretty clear we didn’t have the ability to enforce, and I contrast this with our zeal in enforcing on much smaller developments.”

Due to this “lack of consistency” he felt “uneasy”, but certificates of lawfulness granted to the farm were another factor for the committee to consider.

Cllr Wilkinson said: “This is now considered to be a lawful development, it seems to me we have little option but to approve this.”

Development Management Team Leader, Gemma James, told councillors that the certificate of lawfulness said that the site could be used for agricultural purposes.

Cllr Gareth E Jones (Powys Independents) suggested amending a condition on the planning permission which meant that any machinery stored at the building would have to be for “agricultural” use only.

Eventually after a long debate, councillors went to a vote which saw 13 councillors vote in favour of approving the application, two voted against and one councillor abstained.