New ambulance station approved despite flooding concerns
By Elgan Hearn, Local Democracy Reporter
However, it means that Welsh Government environment body, Natural Resources Wales (NRW), may call in the application to be ultimately decided by planning inspectors.
The application to create an Ambulance Station at unit 10 on the Cain Valley trading estate in the town (pictured) came before a meeting of Powys County Council’s Planning Committee on Thursday.
Planning Officer, Richard Edwards, told councillors that Welsh Ambulance Service Trust (WAST) in their flooding consequences assessment had judged potential flooding of the site against old rather than updated information.
Mr Edwards said: “Because it hasn’t taken into consideration the current information it does not adequately address the flood risk of the site and that it would not impact the operation being proposed.”
He explained as the site would be used by an emergency service it was being held to a “higher threshold” and had to prove that they could continue to operate in a flooding incident.
He advised councillors to refuse the application.
County Councillor for Llanfyllin, Peter Lewis (Conservative), said: “With the proposed reduction in Air Ambulance coverage next year the ambulance station is even more important for the people of Llanfyllin and the surrounding area.
“This site has never flooded yet NRW say there is 0.1% chance of a one in a 1000-year flooding risk, a desk top exercise.
“To refuse is ridiculous, NRW have not used any information from the River Cain monitoring station which was installed in 2008 and is situated 50 metres away from unit 10.
“The data shows the highest recorded level of the river was 1.7 metres in January 2013, not even during Storm Dennis in February 2020 was it higher.”
He added that the river is seven metres below the enterprise park and that fields below the site “disperses any flooding risk”.
Cllr Lewis urged councillors to vote against the officer recommendation.
Richard Davies of WAST explained that they had been trying to move away from their current station in Llanfyllin which is owned by St John Ambulance, for 10 years.
During that time WAST had looked at sites for a new ambulance station jointly with the fire service and police as well as a council depot but “none have worked out for us for various reasons”.
Mr Davies said: “The current facility is not fit for purpose. It’s in such a condition we’re having to use a facility in Welshpool to accommodate a vehicle, so it’s not serving us as it should.”
He added that St John Ambulance were also considering selling the current facility in Llanfyllin which creates a risk of no ambulance station at all in the town.
Cllr Adrian Jones (Conservative – Berriew) said: “I do note the (PCC) emergency planning officer is advocating that they could evacuate and with the technology and early warning system these days I’ll propose we approve this application.”
Cllr Jonathan Wilkinson (Conservative – Llangyniew and Meifod) seconded the proposal and said: “I’m really disappointed at the position NRW have put us as a committee in with a thinly veiled threat.
“It seems to me that the balance of risk has not been considered properly by NRW.”
Cllr Karl Lewis (Reform UK – Llandinam and Dolfor) believed that if the committee didn’t support the application the ambulances would be re-located in Welshpool which is 12 miles south of Llafyllin.
“Knowing Llanfyllin, it’s quite a way out on its own and not to have adequate ambulance cover is a greater risk than the flooding,” said Cllr Lewis.
The committee moved to a vote which saw with 13 councillors voting to approve the application and one councillor voting to abstain.
As part of the decision, the powers will be delegated to the committee chairman, vice-chairman and planning lead officers to finalise the reasons to go against officer recommendations.
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