PLANNERS have approved a bid for a new quad bike attraction in rural Gwynedd despite concerns over the potential noise impact.

Dragon Raiders Activity Park at Gwynfryn Lodge in Llanystumdwy had applied for planning permission to develop its existing land for a new quad bike safari, in addition to the existing segway, paintball and bushcraft activities.

While the park is currently permitted to open from 9am to 5pm five days a week, the application also requested to extend this to operate on a daily basis under the same opening times.

According to the applicants, the development would create an extra three jobs but would not require any substantial development other than the new course being marked out on its existing land.

But the plans have been opposed locally, with neighbours raising concern over the additional noise such an activity would generate, with the planning application noting that 50CC and 350CC bikes would be used on the circuit.

Local member Cllr Aled Evans told Monday’s planning committee meeting in Pwllheli: “Local residents say they can hear the paintballing very clearly as it is, so imagine how bad it will be with six quad bikes running around the site.

“The applicant claims that neighbours have already been consulted, but that simply isn’t true.

“The fact that eight letters of objection have been sent in, as well as the clear opposition of the community council, should make clear the local concerns in regards to this application.

“I urge members to turn down this application.”

Cllr Gruff Williams added: “There’s a big difference in the noise generated by a 50cc and a 350cc engine.

“We need clarification on what exactly they’re planning to use.

“I would also want clarification on how easy it would be for the applicant to remove any condition we place this afternoon.”

After officers told members that there were several measures open to the council to ensure that conditions were met, they approved the application by eight votes to five.

A decision on the application was delayed in July to allow members to carry out a site visit, with planning officers recommending that the plans should be approved but that noise levels should be monitored as an ongoing condition for approval.

The park currently attracts around 17,000 visitors a year, with park bosses confident that the new activity should be accessible to most people.

Speaking in July, applicant Paul Good said that he had “no intention of upsetting his neighbours”, and that an environmental noise assessment had found it would not cause undue issues.

The report presented to members said: “Observations were received from local residents, expressing concern regarding the impact of the use of these specific machines on the local neighbourhood, mainly in relation to noise, but there are also references to matters such as over-development of the site etc.

“As with the previous applications, conditions can be set in relation to numbers and the site’s opening times.

“The applicant states that the site’s opening times will be 10am to 5pm and, if it became evident that a condition such as a restriction on opening times was being breached, this condition would be enforced.

“It is reasonable to include a condition such as this, as has happened in the past, in order to ensure that this aspect is appropriately managed.”