Plan to demolish a wooden ‘chicken shack’ for luxury house rejected

Anglesey Council’s planning committee rejected plans to replace the the single storey hardboard-clad building at Red Wharf Bay with a new home.

The hut was previously located at the now-closed Indefatigable naval training school at Llanfairpwll, and also had a previous life on an Anglesey farm, before being used as a home.

Planning bosses received an application from Matt Sharp, of Mellor Homes Ltd, to demolish the building at Cae Graham, on Lon Y Traeth, and build a three-bedroom home in its place.

The modern and luxury dwelling would have had “unobstructed views” across red Wharf Bay and towards Moelfre.

The property would have two sections – one two-storey and one a single storey, linked by a glazed corridor and with a large rooftop patio.

The plans states the retention and extension of the existing property “would not be a viable option” due to the “amount of repairs required”.

Councillors questioned the status of the property during a meeting of the planning committee on Wednesday (March 6).

Computer Generated Image of how the new the new house planned for Cae Graham might look ( Image Anglesey Planning Application)

The proposal was rejected at a previous planning meeting against officers’ recommendations.

Senior planner Rhys Jones said the plans had been rejected due to “not being in the same footprint as the existing building”.

The size of the development is “50 percent bigger,” 20 percent more than planning policy allowed and could have impact on a designated dark sky area, the committee heard.

Addressing concerns over the property’s residential use, Mr Jones said: “The property has a certificate of lawfulness, category C3, issued since 2016, it doesn’t matter if it is called a chalet, cabin or lodge, even a hut, it has a certificate to be used as a residential dwelling.”

The position of the new property was slightly different to the original, but “nestled into the hillside” and was “not considered to have a negative visual impact on the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”.

Anyone could apply for a residential certificate “if they could prove the property had been used as a residence for ten years,” he said.

In this case, “residential use had been proved”.

Objecting local member Councillor Margaret Murley Roberts, said: “The hut was moved from the Indefatigable in 1995 when that closed and it was used as a chicken hut before being put onto a low loader and brought to the existing site.

“It has been used for boats, chickens, a hut, a chalet, an Airbnb in 2015, but never a house, and certainly not a two-storey one with a tower.”

She added: “We need consistency in making decisions or there will be no credibility. I urge you to turn this down.”

Cllr Ieuan Williams raised issues over the building’s limited lifespan.

He said: “There is clear evidence in the plans, the architect himself calls the structure a ‘chalet’ adding ‘it is a chalet with legal residential use, it was at Indefatigable, and was a chicken hut before’.”

The meeting was again informed by the officer that the building has a certificate for residential use.

“It was noted that a challenge to the existing certificate over validity had been received last month – but as it stood, the committee was told it must consider the certificate’s authority as “standing”.

Planning officer Robin Jones stated that there was “a declaration on oath by the owner and tenant over its use as a residential property”.

Other evidence included pictures, while a visit to the property had seen a car outside and “clear signs that the building was used as a dwelling”.

“If this was chicken hut then these chickens lived a very luxurious life,” he quipped.

Proposing accepting the proposal, Cllr Ifan Jones stated: “If there is a certificate of lawfulness I don’t think we have any choice but to permit.”

Cllr Dafydd Roberts proposed objecting, gaining a majority of seven votes, so the application was turned down.