GREEN LIGHT FOR BUSINESS UNITS
PLANS to build 27,000 square feet of business units on the site of a former abattoir have been approved by Anglesey Council planners.
Owned by Dutch food group, Vion, the decision in 2013 to close the former Welsh Country Foods in Gaerwen saw the loss of 300 jobs with the site having lain dormant ever since.
But hopes have been sparked that it could play a part in the island’s economic recovery after proposals for business units on the site were approved by Anglesey Council planning officers - having already been protected for employment use within the Local Development Plan (LDP).
The decision comes a year after similar plans were refused by planning chiefs, with the applicants failed to persuade officers that their plans would not have an impact on species of newts in the area.
But 12 months on, officers gave the green light after additional reports were provided, including habitat and wildlife population surveys.
The newly approved plans include full permission to demolish the abattoir, provide access roads and the building of two business units with outline consent for the reminder, with the latter requiring detailed planning approval before work can start. The site would have a completed floorspace of nearly 27,000sqm.
The design and access statement accompanying the planning application states, “The re-use of the vacant, largely previously developed site (which forms a ‘safeguarded employment site’ suitable for B1, B2 and B8 use within the adopted LDP) to create a modern, high quality, industrial estate will bring about significant benefits for the local community, and the Isle of Anglesey in general.
“The proposed scheme creates employment space of a size, layout and quality identified as required, whilst ensuring a development that responds sensitively to its surrounding context.
“It is considered that the proposals represent an appropriate and acceptable scheme, which fully addresses comments raised by the Isle of Anglesey County Council during pre-application dialogue and during the course of the preceding hybrid application.”
After the initial application was turned down in November 2019, the council’s deputy chief executive stressed that the authority had always been supportive in principle due to the economic benefits.
He said, “Officers had no option but to refuse the planning application due to the lack of necessary information contrary to national legislation and policies. They would encourage the developer to resubmit the application with the appropriate information for further consideration.”