Coach Company Granted Permission to Park on Land despite Noise Concerns

A coach company was granted permission to park on a section of land, despite concerns about noise.
Daniel Keane of Keane’s Coaches applied for retrospective planning permission for a change of use to park three coaches on an existing tarmacked area at Burley Hill Garage, Eryrys.
The brownfield site currently has planning permission dating back 30 years for vehicles to be parked whilst awaiting service by the garage, and while hours are restricted, this only relates to the hours mechanics can work.
Denbighshire’s planning committee heard how residents had raised concerns about the impact of noise and disturbance from bus engines.
There were also safety concerns about the suitability of the nearby highway for bus use.
Objectors said they feared there would be an impact on the character on the surrounding countryside as an Area of Natural Beauty, and others feared horses could be affected by vehicle fumes.
But Llanarmon yn Ial Community Council wrote to Denbighshire to say they thought the garage had always been used for commercial vehicle use.
The community council said they didn’t feel it was a change of use, didn’t have details of any neighbour objections, and didn’t object.
Planning officers advised councillors to grant the application, but this didn’t stop local councillor Terry Mendies proposing that hours at the site should be limited.
“As the local member, I fully support this application,” he said.
“It is a simple application to park three coaches in a yard in a small rural setting, and we should be encouraging local and small business enterprises.”
But Cllr Mendies said he would not propose there should be access to parking 24/seven.
“Having spoken to the local residents, given that the coaches referred to in this application are for school runs, I think it would be pertinent to amend the hours,” he said.
“I would like to propose an amendment to this application that the application be granted for the parking of three coaches and limited to the hours of 7.30 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, 8 am to 8 pm to 1 pm on Saturdays, and no activity to be allowed on Sundays or public holidays.”
But planning officer Paul Griffin reminded councillors HGVs are allowed to park on the existing site and there was no control over when vehicles could enter or leave the site.
“The controls only relate to the actions of the mechanic already on site and entering and leaving the building,” he said.
The planning officer said a noise report provided by the applicant showed that any noise would be within acceptable guidelines considering the proximity of the nearest home.
Cllr Mendies’ proposal wasn’t supported by any other committee members and failed.
Cllr Merfyn Parry then proposed councillors went with the planning officers’ recommendation.
He said: “This seems to me a good local business that is going there, and trying to restrict the hours on a business like that could restrict the business. I’ve been in the haulage business years ago with my father, and things happen where you’ve got to come in, sometimes late at night, and they’ve done the noise impact there.”
Cllr Andrea Tomlin seconded the proposal, and the application was unanimously backed by the committee.

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter