North Wales Housing Association had purchased a guest house in Llandudno with the intention of providing a facility to allow vulnerable adults to holiday in the area, thus giving them a break from their carers. However restrictions on the use of the building prevented it from being used for any other purpose than a guesthouse. We prepared a detailed case which demonstrated that the proposed use of the building to provide ‘breaks’ for vulnerable adults, with some supervisions by staff, did not constitute a change from the existing use of the building as a guesthouse. Following lengthy discussions with the Council a Certificate of Lawful use was granted confirming this and the Housing Association was able to develop this vital facility.

Our clients wished to replace their existing gas storage tanks with a larger unit to allow them to rationalise their existing storage needs, and also to increase the volume that could be stored on site. Having examined the site and local policies we prepared a planning application and Hazardous Substances Consent Application, which detailed the economic rationale for the proposal. Following detailed consideration of the proposal permission was granted by the Council and Health and Safety Executive for the development.

We were instructed to by our client to prepare objections to proposals for new dwellings close to the village of Glyn Garth on Anglesey. Both sites had support from the Councils Planning Policy section, however upon closer examination it was clear that these sites were not suitable for development.

Following the submission of soundly based planning objections to the Council on our clients behalf both applications were refused.

We were asked to advise our clients on the possibility of replacing a static caravan on their land, which benefited from a lawful use certificate for holiday purposes. However the original lawful use decision described the caravan as being a touring caravan, rather than a static unit. On the basis of this description the Council were unwilling to allow a replacement static caravan to be installed.

Having investigated the History of the site it became clear that a static caravan had occupied the site for a considerable number of years, and as such the existing caravan was entirely lawful and its replacement with another unit would be entirely appropriate. An application was submitted to the Council providing detailed evidence to substantiate this claim. However the Council refused the application, requiring that an appeal be submitted to challenge this refusal.

Following submission of the appeal we were approached by the Council with an offer to negotiate for a replacement unit, demonstrating that perhaps their original decision was incorrect. Following negotiations with the Council the client was granted permission for a replacement chalet, a substantial improvement from the existing unit on site.