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A new planning application for a canteen and takeaway is “very frustrating” and should once again be rejected, a councillor has said. 

Labour’s Carl Cuss, who represents the Twyn Carno ward, has called on Caerphilly County Borough Council to refuse planning permission for a portable building at the former station house Rhymney. 

The applicant, Mr Ronald Jones, was refused planning permission by Caerphilly County Borough Council to use the portable building as a canteen and takeaway in February 2022. 

He has, however, reapplied to use the building as a daily roadside canteen and takeaway, which will be open from 9am to 5pm daily.

The application was received on November 30 and validated on December 1 on Caerphilly County Borough’s planning portal.

A history of appeals

The appeal for the portable building is separate from the one to continue using the land for five traveller pitches, five mobile homes, and five touring and hardstanding caravans.

This application was denied by the council but appealed to the Welsh Government and subsequently approved – with certain conditions –  on July 26 of this year. 

This decision was made by an inspector from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) who was appointed by Welsh Government ministers.

Mr Jones had previously submitted a separate appeal for the portable building but withdrew it. The inspector considered the portable building as part of the wider traveller site. 

The inspector ruled against the use of the portable building in a split decision. 

The inspector wrote that it was considered “highly visible, conspicuous and completely alien in its surroundings”.

New application is “very frustrating”

Cllr Cuss has raised objections with Caerphilly County Borough Council’s planning department.

In an email which has been seen by Caerphilly Observer, Cllr Cuss wrote: “I understand the council has pursued the applicant regarding the removal of the cabin and this revised application has now been submitted in response.

“As you can imagine this is very frustrating for all concerned.”

Cllr Cuss added that he was “assured the enforcement notice”, handed out by the council, would still stand.

He ‘urged’ the application was considered in the same way as before and reiterated what he considered were two key points:

• “The planned development lies outside the settlement boundary and lacks justification, violating Policy CW15 of the Caerphilly County Borough Local Development Plan until 2021.”
• “The proposed design harms the visual appeal of the area, contradicting Policies CW2 and CW4 aimed at preserving the distinctive features of the Upper Rhymney Valley Special Landscape Area.”

He added: “I urge the planning department to be consistent with this planning application.”

Cllr Cuss previously told Caerphilly Observer he thinks the cabin poses a risk to drivers. 

“It distracts people driving past,” he said, adding that the way it looks is not fitting with the local residential area. 

He continued: “It just doesn’t seem suitable.”

“A far lesser impact” compared to other roadside services

Mr Jones’ agent, Mr Vaughan-Harries was contacted for comment. 

In response, Mr Vaughan-Harries from Hayston Developments and Planning Ltd provided Caerphilly Observer with a planning statement and justification report undertaken on behalf of Mr Jones for the proposed canteen and takeaway.

The report acknowledges the previous planning refusal by the council and the dismissal by the inspector. 

It suggests that the applicant has taken the inspector’s feedback that the “original appearance” of the portable building was “harmful” into account. 

The report states: “To overcome these concerns the design has changed, its external appearance is improved, and additional tree planting will be provided along the road frontage and internally.”

The report also explains the plan is for the canteen and takeaway to serve “light refreshments to passers-by similar to other road-side cafes seen in laybys throughout Wales”.

It is argued that chains such as Greggs or Starbucks are “very common off major roads/roundabouts” but that as this is a smaller building it will have “a far lesser impact”.

Concerning criticism that the building would impact the Rhymney Valley Special Landscape Area (SLA) the report argues that the portable building is:

• Near to a big complex of major roads with significant expansion work also being undertaken on the adjacent Head of The Valley Road.
• In a historic brownfield site.
• Is surrounded by an existing access road and a traveller site (five pitches/tourers)

It is also suggested that should the proposal be accepted, a five-year period would be beneficial to “assess its financial viability”. After this time, “a permanent facility could be explored”.

The facility will be open from 9am to 5pm daily and will be managed by residents of the caravan site as a “live/work facility”. 

The report says the proposal aligns with the Well-being of Future Generations Act’s sustainable development principles and meets Local Development Planning (LDP) policies.

The application can be viewed on the council’s planning portal using reference 23/0838/RET