A small village of temporary cabins or 'bunkabins' could be built to house dozens of people in Eryri National Park for almost two years. The plan would provide accommodation for workers on a major infrastructure scheme.
Planning permission has been granted to reduce the visual impact of National Grid’s overhead line across the Dwyryd Estuary from Minffordd to Llandecwyn in Gwynedd, NorthWalesLive reports. The Eryri VIP project would see the removal of a section of the overhead line to be replaced with electricity cables buried in a tunnel underground.
Its construction is set to be a mammoth scheme and will require a significant workforce – many of whom will need to come in from other areas. This means that Hochtief (UK) Construction will need a large site to house its workers. A proposal will be put forward on land at Blaen Cefn, Penrhyndeudraeth.
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It would see 100 'bunkabins' or small portable living units placed on the land as well as associated facilities for staff. The site would be temporary with it expected to be there for nearly two years – from early 2024 to December 2025.
A consultation is currently being held by agent Cadnant Planning ahead of planning applications being made to Cyngor Gwynedd and Eryri National Park. A spokesman for Cadnant Planning said: "The proposed development is required in order to ensure suitable and sufficient accommodation is available for workers associated with the Eryri VIP during tourist seasons as well as through the winters. The workers that would be accommodated at the site would be non-home-based workers mainly undertaking specialist work. The facility would provide temporary accommodation for up to 100 workers and is expected to be operational between April 2024 and December 2025."
They said: "An extensive search for a suitable site to house the temporary accommodation for workers has been undertaken by the applicant principally considering sites in the Porthmadog and Penrhyndeudreath area, given the need to be close to the main construction sites at Garth and Llandecwyn. Sites within Cyngor Gwynedd and outside the Eryri National Park were initially viewed as preferable with a preference for previously developed land to align with the principles of sustainable development set out within national planning policy.
"A number of sites were discounted due to flood risk issues. Allocated housing sites in Penrhyndeudraeth were considered but a combination of lack of willingness to bring the sites forward for temporary accommodation, topographic and drainage constraints led to the sites being dismissed as suitable for the proposed workers accommodation. A site further afield at Blaenau Ffestiniog was considered although being outside the initially preferable travel-to-work distance. A combination of distance from the main construction sites and confirmation from the landowner that the site was not available led to its dismissal. In the absence of suitable alternatives the site at Blaen Cefn has been selected as the preferred workers accommodation site and now forms the subject of this Statutory Pre-Application Consultation process."
They said that the application is accompanied by ecological surveys, a transport statement, drainage strategy and a community and linguistic impact assessment which considers the potential effects of the proposed development. They concluded: "Whilst the proposal is a departure from the policies within the adopted development plan, however, the proposal would be temporary in nature and is required in order to support the Eryri VIP project which will assist to deliver a major opportunity to conserve and enhance the special qualities and natural beauty, wildlife and environmental heritage of the Eryri National Park."
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