Permission has been given to demolish Maesgeirchen Social Club in Bangor, following an appeal to the Welsh assembly planning inspectorate in Cardiff.
The demolition of the club will make way for a shop and 10 flats, despite permission for the development being refused by Gwynedd council in June this year.
The shop was due to be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the plans included a canteen and parking spaces. The community council and residents objected to the proposals, saying it would be “too big” and noisy.
‘Objections are Poorly Founded’
Gwynedd council planning committee refused the application on the grounds of overdevelopment, but this has now been overruled by the planning inspectorate.
The statement from the planning inspector Declan Beggan, reads: “The appeal is allowed and planning permission is granted for the ‘Demolition of existing social club building and erection of a three storey building with shop (including café, fascia signage, and ATM) on ground floor and 10 one bedroomed flats above along with two storage containers.”
“Overall it is clear that the proposal would be a suitable use for the site and would not harm the locality. The Local Planning Authority’s objections are poorly founded as it is clear that it would not have a harmful impact upon the character and appearance of the surrounding area or the amenities of the local community. The site is previous developed land, and there is a significant fall-back position in the existing permitted use .
