Decision on home deemed ‘more suited to Beverly Hills than Mynydd Nefyn’ delayed for a month

Gareth Williams, local democracy reporter

A decision on plans to extend a house dubbed “more suited for Beverly Hills than Mynydd Nefyn” has been kicked into the long grass for now.

Meeting on Monday, members of Gwynedd Council’s Planning Committee was asked to approve the refurbishment and extension of Tan-y-Mynydd on Mynydd Nefyn.

This follows the refusal of earlier proposals for the same property last September, with the committee going against the advice of officers after citing the visual impact and claiming that approval would “open the floodgates” for similar developments.

But instead, members decided to delay any decision until the findings of the Llŷn Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Joint Advisory Committee were available in full and part of the overall report.

Cllr Simon Glyn, a member of both the planning and AONB committees, said that an emergency meeting had been held in late March to discuss the application, with detailed findings having been recommended.

While it was pointed out that the findings of the committee had been considered by officers when making their recommendation to approve, Cllr Glyn argued that its findings should be made available for planning committee members to consider in full before coming to a decision.

The amended plans involve the refurbishment and extension of the house, including demolishing an existing outbuilding, rear two-storey extension and a glass side extension.

Relocating a stone wall in order to create a parking and turning area, it would also see a new two-storey and another single-storey extension and a balcony on the gable-end of the existing house.

When discussed last September, Cllr Gareth Jones described the “overbearing” plans as “suitable for the slopes of Beverly Hills but not Mynydd Nefyn.”

‘Protect’

Local councillor, Gruff Williams, told Monday’s committee that while officers felt that the amended plans were an “improvement,” on those refused last year, he pointed out that officers had also recommended approval back then.

He added that the plans represented “clear damage to the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty,” and would “set a precedent” for future applications.

“What we have here now is 19th century cottages associated with the works at Llithfaen and the area’s maritime tradition, but these plans represent gentrification.

“You only need to look at Plas Pistyll to see what happened to house prices there, allowing these plans would simply open the floodgates to further gentrification.

“I urge you to refuse on the bases of several policies already listed and in order to protect the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.”

But Lowri Jones, speaking on behalf of the applicants, stressed the property would not be used as a holiday home and spoke of the applicants’ fondness for the area and hope of setting up home in Nefyn.

Adding that the property had laid empty for years, it was not the intention of the. applicants to create an eyesore.

In his supporting documents, applicant Warren Hadlow said that their previous application was “beset by a campaign of disinformation as to its size and ambition”

Having amended the plans to use white render, he hoped it would ensure the property to be “more in keeping with the existing surrounding buildings and true to the existing building.”

The decision to delay a decision until the next committee meeting was approved unanimously.