Outline Plans Approved for Demolition of Rhos on Sea House and Construction of 12 Apartments

Outline plans to bulldoze a Rhos on Sea house and build a block of 12 self-contained apartments have been initially approved by Conwy County Council’s planning committee.
Mr and Mrs Kelly applied to the council to demolish the existing two-storey dwelling, brick outbuilding, and prefabricated single garage at 34 Church Road.
The proposal for the 0.115-hectare site included building a four-storey development and car park, with four flats on each of the upper floors.
The application was initially recommended for refusal by council officers, who later revised their recommendation to approve outline consent.
The committee heard the applicant had amended plans that now included widened access and rearranged parking, alleviating concerns about tree roots, tree retention, and parking provision.
Consequently, councillors were advised to back the plans, subject to access, layout, appearance, landscaping, and scale of the proposed development being agreed later.
Officers advised the committee to allow those matters to be resolved under delegation.
But Cllr Chris Cater said he wasn’t “quite happy” about the submitted plans, describing the proposal as “stark” and “a bulky building”.
The Penrhyn Bay councillor said he was “happy the trees have been safeguarded” and that access had been widened but added he hoped the revised plans could be softened.
Cllr Cater proposed councillors went with officers’ recommendation but requested that future reserved matters came back to the committee for consideration.
Cllr Trystan Lewis shared Cllr Cater’s concerns and seconded the proposal.
Cllr Lewis then cited the Grade ll listed Pumping Station being close by as another reason for the committee to reassess the plans.
But Cllr David Carr said: “I just feel this area is overdeveloped. It is an extremely built-up area to build even more. I’ve got reservations about it.”
Cllr Samantha Cotton was also concerned about the site being near a school and “a busy bus route”.
Outline planning permission was granted with the caveat that the reserved matters would return to the committee for debate.
Eight councillors voted in favour, one against, and one abstention.

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter