Major housing development planned on farmland near Old Colwyn

Richard Evans, local democracy reporter

A council is planning to sell farmland near Old Colwyn in order for around 235 homes to be built on the site.

Conwy Council has listed its Ty Mawr site near Old Colwyn as being for sale, with developers asked express their interest in the land back in 2019.

Work such as traffic surveys and ground investigations is now taking place after being slowed by the pandemic, before the council’s cabinet selects a development partner for the land later this year.

The 37.75-acre site is sandwiched between Old Colwyn and Llysfaen, just off Berth Y Glyd Road and Peulwys Road, and is currently used as farmland.

Local development plan

Planning consent will need to be secured before any development gets underway, but the area is listed for residential development in Conwy’s local development plan.

The council said the current farming tenant would be given notice once the sale is agreed.

Describing the land, Conwy’s website boasts that the site is close to both Chester and Manchester. The website reads: “By car and by train Chester is less than 50 minutes away and Manchester is less than 2 hours by train and just over 90 minutes by car. Popular destinations in the Snowdonia National Park such as Betws Y Coed are around 40 minutes away.”

According to the Ty Mawr online ‘brochure’, around 30% of the housing will be affordable.

A Conwy County Council spokeswoman commented: “An Expressions of Interest exercise was carried out in 2019 for the land at Ty Mawr, Llysfaen.

“The feedback from this exercise was reported back to cabinet in January 2020.

“Due diligence work started, including ground investigations, utility investigations and traffic surveys, which would provide the market with further information as and when the site went on the market.

“This due diligence work is ongoing. It was delayed during the pandemic.

“Consideration is also being given to the type of housing development for the site, given the changing nature of demand in the last few years.

“A report will be presented to cabinet later this year for support to seek a development partner for the land.”