PLANS to build nine new homes in Abererch have been delayed after planners wish to make a site visit.

The application by developer T Banks Building Contractors wishes to build nine houses, three of which would be affordable, on land near Tan Yr Eglwys.

The plans were expected to be refused at a recent Gwynedd Council planning committee but planners decided they would make a site visit before they came to their final decision.

Concerns have been raised by residents that the houses will dominate the Pen y Don properties and create additional traffic through the nearby estate.

However, Pwllheli Town Council has supported the plans but they stressed there is a need to ensure that surface water created by the development will not impact nearby houses.

Residents were also concerned the development would cause loss of light and there were too many houses being proposed for the particular site.

In a Gwynedd Council report presented to the committee it said: “It is not considered that the houses on plots 4-7 respect the site and its vicinity in terms of scale, size, form, mass or bulk and that these houses would be overbearing and dominant on the Pen y Don property and consequently would create a discordant feature in the area thus having a detrimental impact on visual amenities.

“It is considered that the houses on plots 4 and 5, due to their angle and location on higher ground, would cause overlooking into the garden of Pen y Don and cause significant harm to the amenities of the owners of that property.”

However the developers say that the proposal respects the character of the area and in the short term the plans will offer employment opportunities for those contracted to develop and build the scheme.

A Gwynedd Council spokesperson said: “No decision was made on the application with members deciding to carry out a site visit to assess the site before coming to a decision.”