Calls to bring forward planning review rejected

CALLS to bring forward a review of Anglesey’s planning masterplan have been rejected by councillors despite concerns that town centres are suffering.

At Tuesday’s full council meeting, opposition calls were made to bring forward next year’s planned review of the Joint Local Development Plan.

The plan, adopted in 2017, guides most planning policy across Gwynedd and Anglesey, but critics argue that too many former shops are being turned into one bedroom flats “resulting in a deterioration of the whole town.”

Cllr Bob Llewellyn Jones, who proposed the motion, acknowledged that while town centres are under tremendous stress as people shop online, he was looking for legislation to be strengthened, allowing developers to transform them into “decent homes” as opposed to smaller flats.

He added: “One room developments are in danger of becoming the norm in our towns.

“It may lead to looking at a visionary approach to what our role for town centres will be.

“Tourism is growing everywhere and we need to tap into it by being an attractive place to visit while making our County a place for all of us to be proud of. Do we have the will to take this on as an authority or will we continue to muddle on and see our urban environment continue to decline?”

But in response, planning portfolio holder Cllr Richard Dew said that while town centre regeneration was a priority for the authority, the JLDP was already scheduled for review in July 2021 and it was not appropriate to bring forward such a review forward.

The JLDP monitoring review will go ahead next July as planned.