Bus company to fight council’s demand to stop keeping vehicles on land near River Dee

A bus company is set to fight against a council’s demand for it to stop storing vehicles on land near the River Dee in Flintshire.

P&O Lloyd Coaches has been ordered to end its use of a former agricultural field near its coach yard in Bagillt and remove an area of hardstanding.

Flintshire Council said it did not have permission to use the land on Bagillt Road and a previous bid to alter it was rejected because of the flood risk and impact on neighbours.

However, the firm has now appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in an attempt to have the decision overturned.

In the appeal documents, the owners claimed they had already been using part of the site for over a decade and said the additional area was needed to fulfill a new contract awarded by the local authority itself.

They said: “P&O Lloyd Coaches Ltd have operated from the main building and associated coach yard for over 50 years.

“The land which is the subject of the notice is required in association with the existing business for the safe parking of commercial vehicles.

“It is asserted that the noise levels associated with vehicle movements within the subject site during this period would not be unsociable and would not unacceptably harm the living conditions of the occupiers of nearby dwellings.

“The proposed development is for the extension to the existing coach depot to create further coach and bus spaces along with staff parking to service a new contract awarded to the developer by Flintshire County Council.”

They added: “As the site is located within a Natural Resources Wales flood warning area and given the nature of tidal flooding, it is likely that sufficient warning could be provided to allow for prior evacuation or closure of the site before tidal flooding occurs.

“The risk posed to the proposed development is not dissimilar to the existing coach depot which is operational.”

Officers from Flintshire Council’s planning department refused permission for the company’s planning application in January.

In their report, they said the intensity of use and the lack of adequate supporting information meant there could be a ‘significant’ impact on neighbours.

They added that the site was at high risk from surface water flooding.

The appeal will be considered by an inspector appointed by the Welsh Government at a future date.

By Liam Randall – Local Democracy Reporter (more here).