Council approves scheme to spend £1.5m securing crumbling hotel

Dale Spridgeon Local Democracy Reporter

A council has agreed to spend £1.5m making a crumbling former seaside hotel safe.

Cyngor Gwynedd’s cabinet agreed to fund the work needed to secure the Grade II listed Corbett Arms in Tywyn.

The once-grand hotel, which Beatle John Lennon reportedly visited in its heyday, has partially collapsed after the building fell into neglect following its closure around 14 years ago.

Serious concerns were raised about public safety due to the building’s deteriorating condition, but calls to demolish part of the early 19th century site sparked a public outcry.

Responsibility for the building fell into a legal limbo after its owner died in 2012. A council report noted that “no probate grant had been confirmed for the estate”.

Due to concerns over public safety, the council’s Building Control Service was forced to issue notices to the representatives of the late owner, but “no compliance with the requirements had been obtained,” the document noted.

Despite efforts to make the building safe, there was a significant collapse at the rear of the site, and a further collapse of the ballroom roof earlier this year.

The council said it “brought together diverse expertise” and the council’s Environment Department had convened a project group to respond to the situation.

It included cross-departmental representation, including a specialist structural engineer and consultation with Cadw and the Royal Commission.

But amid concerns over further collapse and public safety, the council partially closed part of the adjacent road and erected safety fencing.

Urgent action saw the temporary closure of neighbouring streets, Stryd Maengwyn, Sgwâr Corbett and Stryd y Llew Coch, to protect the public, whilst permanent monitoring of the building was put in place.

It was later decided that there was “no option” but to submit a listed building consent application (LBC), made by a specialist historic buildings consultant, for a partial deconstruction of the building and work to stabilise the structure.

It had sparked objections from the public, community councils and responses from Save Britain’s Heritage, The Georgian Group and Victorian Society.

The council also arranged for a survey of the building by ecological experts.

At a meeting of Cyngor Gwynedd’s cabinet on Tuesday, December 16, a decision was approved to free up funds of £1.5 million for the building.

Cllr Craig Ab Iago said the Corbett Arms was an issue “affecting the lives of Gwynedd residents particularly those in Tywyn”.

He said the decision was important because it was “not the council’s money but the money of our people”.

Dafydd Wyn Williams, the council’s head of environment, said to date, £938k had been spent, and this sum was included in the estimated £1.5m fund.

Costs had been associated with scaffolding to protect the public, road closure traffic management, site and building safety, composite works, extensive on-site access, a specialist demolition contractor, structural engineer, quantity surveyor/project manager, planning consultant, ecology work and ongoing specialist building monitoring.

He said: “There is a duty on the council to keep the public safe, and to save the building, because of its listed status.

“We’ve applied for listed building consent, so we can demolish part of the building to make it secure, so that things can move forward, but this means significant costs so far, nearly £1m. Our total estimated cost will be £1.5m.

“We have a statutory duty to respond to these kinds of matters, we can’t just ignore it.

“We are faced with this, the council does not have any funds or money for this, therefore we ask for it to be looked at as part of the council’s financial strategy.

“Our role at this point is to keep the building as safe as possible. There is a risk that if maintenance is not carried out there could be further impact, but we are trying to prevent that in the work that we have proposed as part of the listed building consent.

“The appearance of the building may not be much better, but it will be secure and safe, then it will be up to whoever owns the site, to move it forward in the future.”