Powys councillors back Meifod barn plan despite flood fears

At a meeting of Powys County Councl’s Planning Taxi Licensing and Rights of Way committee on Thursday, June 6 councillors received a planning application by EM and JR Evans to build an extension to an agricultural building and all associated works at Dyffryn, Meifod.

The proposed building will now measure 42 metres by 18 metres and would have a maximum ridge height of 4.7 metres.

It will be used to keep livestock.

The land is owned by council chairman Cllr Jonathan Wilkinson who is also a member of the Planning committee.

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At the start of the meeting both Cllr Wilkinson and committee vice-chairman Cllr Adrian Jones who is a relative of his, declared an interested in the application.

Under the planning protocol councillors should declare a personal interest when the have land, property or business interests involved with the application.

This also covers a councillors family and friends.

Both councillors left the meeting when the item was discussed.

Senior planning officer Kate Bowen said: “The application site is located to the east of the A495 highway just to the southwest of Meifod.

“Just to clarify, we have received an application for another building just adjacent to this building and advise members to consider the application here before you on its merits.”

She explained that the other application had not received any consultee comments “to date.”

Mrs Bowen said: “There’s four listed buildings at Dyffryn on the opposite side of the road,

“The built heritage officer has commented.”

Mrs Bowen told councillors that the built heritage office had advised that there would be no impact to the setting of the listed buildings as there already “modern” agricultural buildings between them and the site.

Mrs Bowen said: “The key issue for the application is its location in the flood zone maps.”

She explained that statutory consultee and environment body Natural Resources Wales (NRW) had not objected to the proposal because the building would be in an “existing and established farm complex” and that it would not have a detrimental effect on third parties.

Mrs Bowen said: “Based on NRW advice we consider the level of flood risk is manageable and proportionate to the development.”

She recommended that councillors approved the scheme.

Committee solicitor Rachel Mole said: “Given the reason why the application is before you I have an obligation to review the file to make sure it has been processed correctly.”

She “confirmed” that it has.

Cllr Claire Hall put forward a motion that the committee back the officer’s recommendation and this was seconded by Cllr Gareth Pugh.

A vote was held, and the application was backed unanimously by the committee.