No housing need survey found despite claims and lack of affordable homes also slammed

PLANS for a controversial housing development to be built which received more than 1,000 objections from an online petition has been rejected by the authority.

The proposed scheme to build almost 70 houses on historic farm land on Maes Coetmor, Bethesda was refused after a number of concerns were raised regarding the application put forward to Gwynedd Council’s Planning Committee.

The application which provided misleading and false information received a number of objections regarding the negative impact the development would have on the community as well as the Welsh language and local schools.

Dyfodol i’r Iaith – who promote and nurture the growth of the Welsh language said the plans are totally inappropriate and insensitive to the linguistic needs and profile of the area.

Ruth Richards, Chief Executive of Dyfodol i’r Iaith, said: “We welcome the refusal of this application.

“This case highlights the importance of ensuring that language impact be recognised as a material consideration in the context of individual planning applications.

“Dyfodol i’r Iaith believes that the protection of the Welsh language has to be at least as important a consideration as biodiversity and heritage.”

The authority also raised the concern that not enough affordable homes had been proposed after the application stated only 20 out of the 69 units were affordable.

At a public consultation, concerns were also voiced regarding the lack of evidence of the need for housing locally.

Despite the developer claiming a survey had been completed for the need for housing in Bethesda, no survey was proven to have taken place.

Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Elin Walker Jones said: “This part of the planning application is not true and is totally misleading.

“No explanation was given as to why this was the case and how the applicant came to submit false information.”

“There is no argument, affordable houses are needed locally but only 20 of these houses would be affordable out of the 69 proposed.”