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North Wales Live
3 days ago
- Business
- North Wales Live
Gothic Revival style villa in seaside town being demolished for affordable flats
A Gothic Revival style villa in a seaside town is being demolished to make way for affordable flats. The 19th Century property is on Abergele Road that runs between Old Colwyn and Colwyn Bay. The development is being carried out for North Wales Housing by Beech Developments. They said the 15 apartment would be their first new housing scheme in the Conwy County since 2019. A spokesperson said: "Our last newbuild development here was at Nant Eirias in Colwyn Bay, completed in 2019, and we're proud to once again be contributing to the local housing landscape. The site at 228 Abergele Road previously housed a substantial late 19th-century villa in the Gothic Revival style, typical of its time and closely tied to the historic growth of Old Colwyn and the broader North Wales coast. "While the building had architectural interest, a full heritage impact assessment was undertaken. The property was not listed, was outside of a conservation area, and did not appear on Conwy Council's list of Buildings and Structures of Local Interest. "Demolition will begin this week to make way for much-needed social and affordable housing, supporting our ongoing mission to provide high-quality homes across North Wales in communities where people love to live." Local developers, Beech Developments (NW) Ltd will be constructing the new build using a modern method of construction called insulated concrete formwork (ICF). This method consists of blocks made from an insulating material, which combines with concrete resulting in an extra warm home built to the highest standards. Nichola Chegwin, NWH's Development Project Manager, said: 'This is an exciting week for North Wales Housing as we begin to see the start of our new build development in the prominent location of Old Colwyn, Conwy. The ICF construction method combined with new technologies will result in high quality homes for the local community.'
North Wales Live
14-07-2025
- North Wales Live
Plan to keep caravan site open for longer turned down amid flooding fears
Conwy Council's planning committee has refused an application to extend the holiday season for static caravans at a site on Gwellyn Avenue, Kinmel Bay, citing ongoing flood risk issues. Mr C Holden had sought to amend a planning condition that currently prevents occupation of 23 static caravans between 31 October and 1 March. His proposal aimed to shorten this closed period to 8 January to 1 March, allowing caravans to be used for an extra nine weeks each year. But the committee upheld planning officers' recommendation to refuse the application, noting the site remains within flood-risk zones from both sea and river. Cllr Alan Hunter proposed councillors backed the plans, stating: 'I was going to speak in favour of allowing this to go through because it is right next to… well, it's all on the same site as where there are residential caravans already.' He added: 'The NRW (Natural Resources Wales) will probably oppose it every single time in that area. There are no houses. If there is a flooding issue, it is on a site that has got caravans there.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. The site operates as a mixed touring and static caravan park between March and October. Mr Holden's agent had argued that holiday patterns have changed since COVID and Brexit, with visitors now seeking short 'bolt hole' breaks throughout the year rather than traditional seasonal stays. Cllr Kay Redhead also proposed councillors backed the plans. 'My reservations are that there are residential 12-month plots on that land, and we are only looking at 23 caravans. In the height of the summer, we've got 50,000 to 60,000 extra tourists in Towyn and Kinmel Bay,' she said. 'This will be over the winter period when we don't have anywhere near that amount of people, and I know that one of the reasons is the evacuation procedure. But to evacuate 23 caravans in the middle of winter, I don't feel would be any extra strain on what we already have, considering we haven't got that extra 50,000 to 60,000 people in Towyn and Kimnel Bay at the time. 'The biggest threat of a flood there is from the river, which is Natural Resources Wales' land, which they have ownership of, and I do believe if they feel that is the biggest threat then they need to be doing something to mitigate that because the whole of Towyn and Kinmel Bay is at risk.' She added: 'We are having the sea defence work done, but if their argument is the river, that is their land, and they should be doing all they can to protect us. So I don't think the extra couple of months for 23 caravans is a massive issue in the big scheme of things, and I would second what Cllr Alan (Hunter) has said.' The site lies within the Towyn and Kinmel Bay settlement boundary, with homes to the east and commercial and agricultural buildings to the west. Kinmel Bay and Towyn Town Council had no objection to the plans, but NRW strongly advised refusal due to the site's location within Flood Zones 2 and 3, and a Tidal TAN15 Defended Zone. Consequently, planning officers advised councillors refused the application. Cllr Austin Roberts proposed the committee went with planning officers' recommendation to refuse, which was seconded by Cllr Dave Jones. Nine councillors voted in favour of refusing the application, with five opposing this and one councillor abstaining. This decision follows the refusal of a previous application on similar flood-risk grounds.
Wales Online
03-07-2025
- General
- Wales Online
Anti-English graffiti appears in Welsh village
Anti-English graffiti appears in Welsh village The words 'f*** off Saeson' were found painted on a road junction, sparking anger among the community The village of Trefriw in north Wales (Image: Daily Post Wales ) A shocking display of anti-English graffiti in a picturesque village has been labelled as "vile". The offensive phrase 'f*** off Saeson (English)' was discovered at a road junction in Trefriw in north Wales on Monday, sparking outrage among locals when it was shared on a village social media group. Conwy Council were swiftly alerted and received commendation for their rapid response in getting rid of the graffiti within 24 hours, reports North Wales Live. Local councillor Mostyn Jones expressed his disgust, stating there was "no room for hate in our communities" and praised the community's response, highlighting its "tolerant and welcoming" nature. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . Senedd member Janet Finch-Saunders voiced her concern that such incidents could tarnish the reputation of an area beloved by visitors. Cllr Mostyn Jones added: "This is vile graffiti. I am very grateful to the Local Authority officers who responded urgently to my report and cleaned the road within 24 hours. Article continues below "The discriminatory public message was rightly opposed by numerous locals on social media, which goes to show that we are a tolerant and welcoming community in the Conwy Valley. "The minority who do not believe in inclusivity should learn that there is no room for hate in our communities. "The person or people responsible for this distressing act should hold their heads in shame and be aware that locals like me will not stop standing up for kindness in our communities, and campaign to stamp out such foul acts". Janet Finch-Saunders MS added: "I thank Cllr Mostyn and all members of the public who called out this hateful message. "Across Aberconwy businesses and people's livelihoods depended on the tourism and hospitality sector. "Do the perpetrators of such nastiness not realise that if such hate continues our area could develop a bad reputation with visitors, lose customers, and ultimately jobs and money for locals?" Article continues below Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here .
North Wales Live
27-06-2025
- Business
- North Wales Live
Airbnb owner told to tear down 'prison-camp watchtower' built in garden
The owner of an Airbnb let in Conwy has been told to tear down a "prison-camp watchtower" built in the garden of the property. The "monstrous" tower was built at the site of the holiday let on Tan y Bryn Road in Rhos on Sea without planning permission in January 2024. It sparked fury from neighbours, with neighbours saying the structure was blighting their day-to-day lives. JAM Domestic Properties Ltd had submitted a number of retrospective planning applications to retain the "garden room", but these were refused. Conwy Council has now confirmed they have ordered the structure be removed. A spokesperson said: "An enforcement notice has been served which requires the removal of the structure.' Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inbox. The Local Democracy Reporting Service understands the enforcement notice took effect on 17 June, but the developer has 10 weeks from that date to appeal. Neighbour Nick Whitmore, 35, said his family was thrilled the enforcement notice had been served. Mr Whitmore has lived at his home since 2021 but said the tower had compromised the family's quality of life at their dream home. He said: "We are looking forward to the structure coming down. It dominates our property and our neighbours. They can't even sit at their breakfast table without it being overlooked, and it is the same for lots of other houses in the locality. 'So we are thrilled they've been served with an enforcement notice and are looking forward to it being pulled down.' He added: 'It will mean we no longer have such a dominating and intrusive structure, which is so overbearing, looking over our garden or our neighbours' gardens.' A previous planning statement provided by Cadnant Planning in support of the application read: 'Views from the raised platform into neighbouring properties were recognized as being available from the initial planning consent. 'The proposed development is not considered to lead to an acceptable increase to this and is not considered to have a detrimental impact on privacy or residential amenity to neighbouring properties, and therefore would be acceptable on this basis.' They declined to comment on behalf of JAM Domestic Properties in relation to the enforcement notice. Public notices in your area
Wales Online
25-06-2025
- General
- Wales Online
'Autistic children are being failed. My son is traumatised by his school experience'
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A dad has accused Conwy Council and the Welsh Government of failing autistic pupils, claiming vulnerable children and teenagers are being left without a good enough education across the county. Chris Bryant claims his 16-year-old son, who attends the Pontio unit for autistic children at Ysgol Aberconwy in Conwy, has faced repeated bullying and assaults on school buses. Chris, 53, and his wife Sarah have four children aged five, ten, 14, and 16 and live in Old Colwyn after moving from London. Chris' oldest child has been diagnosed with both autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) but is academically able. Ysgol Aberconwy provides the main provision for autism in Conwy county, with its Pontio and Tegfan units – although Ysgol Gogarth in Llandudno also provides education for children with even greater needs. But Chris said Conwy Council initially refused to provide dedicated school transport from Old Colwyn to the Conwy school for Chris' son, who wants to return for his A-levels in September. Sign up for the North Wales Live newslettersent twice daily to your inbox. Chris says the family had to fight Conwy Council before it agreed to provide school transport, as Welsh Government legislation only requires councils to provide this up to age 16 - unlike in England, where it continues until 18. Conwy Council says it funds a relatively wide and extensive range of Additional Learning Provision, and said Ysgol Aberconwy works extremely hard to meet the needs of all students. The Welsh Government said they have significantly increased investment to support children with additional learning needs. Chris said he believed education specialists should set quantifiable goals that are 'specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and targeted' in an autistic child's individual development plan so their needs can be met, which he claims hasn't happened in the case of his son. 'You never get that with the council. They don't say, for instance, the child will have 20 hours of one-to-one care at school, or they will be taken to the Pontio unit if they are having a meltdown or if the child asks, which can be measured,' said Chris. 'Because Conwy are not specific and don't do things in a measurable way, we get incidents happening, attacks, fights, broken glasses, and then we have to have a return-to-school meeting with the headteacher and talk to the council, and it uses up so much time for everybody, not to get the results and keep the children in school. 'There are thousands of children in Wales who are not in school because their needs are not being met, and these are the most vulnerable kids, the ones with disabilities. If the (required) provisions were written down in the child's individual development plan - for instance that the children must have a teaching assistant to escort them to lunch - then if that's not happening because the school didn't have staff, and it went to a tribunal, then it's law. 'The council is deliberately making out that they are helping the parents, but they are not being specific about the provision they are giving the children. They are kicking the can down the road. I would like them to say they will follow the individual development plan and actually follow it until the age of 25 and really commit to doing that." Chris claims his son has faced suspension from school after defending himself from bullies and also criticised the school for asking his son to take part in team sports, which he said don't suit his needs. 'The council or Welsh Government aren't providing for children with special needs especially those with ADHD and autism. This combined type is particularly hard to provide for,' said Chris. 'Why should children in Wales only have support until 16 when they get it in England until 18? I'm from London. We moved here for my wife's job. Why should people be penalised in that way for moving across the border? Education is worse here." He added: 'My son is traumatised by the experience he's had, and he has shown such staying power to even want to go back there (Ysgol Aberconwy). The man who cracked the German code during the Second World War, they reckon he was autistic; some of the people who built the first computers were too. So we are wasting a lot of the special talents these kids have. If they are good at these things and get praised at school, that is very helpful to their self-esteem for their development and for a future job.' A spokeswoman for Conwy Council's Education Service said: "Over a third of the Council's budget is spent on Education and Schools, and we fund a relatively wide and extensive range of Additional Learning Provision (ALP). All placements in Conwy's Additional Learning Provision are agreed by a multi-agency Moderation Panel, using the relevant ALP Access Criteria. Details are available in the Conwy Additional Learning Needs Principles document, which is available on the Conwy website here. "Free home-to-school transport in Wales is determined by the Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008, which sets out the law on travel and transport for learners. Post-16 transport can be provided at the discretion of the local authority. Conwy County Borough Council chooses to support eligible post-16 learners so that they can continue their education, and transport is provided for learners with additional learning needs if they meet the eligibility criteria set out in Conwy's Home-to-School Transport policy, which is available on the Conwy website at: School transport: free school / college transport - Conwy County Borough Council. "Ysgol Aberconwy works extremely hard to meet the needs of all students and is proud of their achievements at GCSE, A Level, and beyond. Ysgol Aberconwy adheres to all relevant and appropriate legislation and is always pleased to talk to families about their experiences in the school to ensure that appropriate support is in place. The headteacher says that students are very positive about their time at school and noted that in a recent survey 93% of parents said they would recommend the school to friends and 92% said their children feel safe in school." She added: "It should be noted the Pontio is provided by the school; Tegfan is Local Authority Provision, and there is further Additional Learning Provision across the county." A Welsh Government spokeswoman said: 'Our national mission commits to breaking down barriers for all learners. Since 2020, we have significantly increased investment with more than £150m to support ALN implementation as well as providing £80m capital funding to local authorities to improve facilities and infrastructure for learners with ALN. 'Local authorities are responsible for delivering learner transport provision in Wales. All children and young people with ALN regardless of their level of need, are entitled to a statutory plan called an Individual Development Plan (IDP) in which their transport requirements can be set out.' Public notices in your area
