Holiday let plan hopes to raise funds for Grade II listed Victorian Pier repairs

Dale Spridgeon, local democracy reporter

A former Pier Master’s house is being proposed as a short-term holiday let to raise money for repairs to a ‘landmark’ Grade II listed Pier.

Cyngor Gwynedd has received an application from the Friends of Bangor’s Garth Pier for the change of use of the former dwelling.

The proposal says the development is part of a longer term plan to redevelop the pier area to attract more visitors.

The development proposes a change of use of the dwelling into a short-term holiday let unit (use class C6).

The house was historically tied to the operations of the pier, with the Pier Master in charge of day-to- day maintenance.

Agents, Cadnant Planning, says in its planning report, that the Friends of Bangor Garth Pier Trustees are looking to lease the property from Bangor City Council.

They say the Friends hope to use the unit as a short-term holiday let, to generate income, which would be “fed directly back to the Pier, to help with the maintenance and running costs”.

As part of the planning proposal, it says a comprehensive business plan has been prepared and submitted.

The Friends launched an appeal in August for repairs to the Pier. They were aiming to raise £40,000 for essential work on its substructure to “make it safe and protect it for generations to come”.

Historical significance

The Pier is one of only three Grade II* listed piers in the whole of the UK.It is considered to be of architectural and historical significance, and is a Victorian gem.

It provides visitors with glorious views of the Menai Strait, and across to Anglesey and the mainland mountains, and has been beloved by locals and visitors since 1896.

It noted that the Pier House had “never been occupied as an open market dwelling and adds “when the Pier Master retired from his job in 2022, he and his partner vacated the dwelling.

“It has never been occupied independently by an individual/family who is not tied to the Pier.

“The dwelling is no longer required as a manager’s dwelling for the running of the pier, that responsibility now lies with the Trustees of Bangor Garth Pier.

“Its location, size and design renders it unsuitable to be used as a family dwelling, whether open market or affordable in nature”

“Events are held at the pier multiple times a year such as fireworks, and Christmas events, attracting thousands of visitors outside the site at any one time”.

The property also has no garden area (just a small outdoor amenity area) and no private parking.

“It isn’t considered suitable to provide a general residential dwelling for a family” the plans say.

The proposed holiday-let would be run by the Trustees of the Friends of Bangor Garth Pier.

Three bedrooms

It is proposed that the holiday let would have three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen/dining room, a family bathroom, a porch, a w/c and a utility room to serve visitors.

“There is also a small outdoor amenity area, and parking would be provided within the nearby car park.

“The proposal says it is “… a culturally important heritage asset to the area and defining landmarks within Bangor in terms of its identity and sense of place.

“The pier promotes local businesses within the local and wider community, including eateries, places to visit, excursions, day trips, etc.

It adds that the holiday let use could also “…encourage spin-off spending within the local economy, which in turn supports a community where the Welsh language can thrive”.

The consultation ovber the planning application end on December 8, 2025.