Remote home approved as holiday let despite concerns over lack of housing

Dale Spridgeon, Local Democracy Reporter

A remote second home has been approved for use as a holiday let despite concerns over the number of summer homes in the area.

Eryri National Park Authority planners permitted a change of use of a traditional, stone house in open countryside at Llan Ffestiniog, during its planning and access committee meeting on Wednesday (January 21).

An agent for the applicant had defended the application saying it “was not controversial,” as it was already a second home, and that its use change would not impact local housing nor breach limits over prescribed numbers for second and holiday homes in the area.

The full application had been made to the park’s planning authority by Ali Crosthwaite.

The isolated property lies approximately 1.8 miles from the village of Llan Ffestiniog and is accessible via an unnamed road off the B4391.

Ffestiniog Town Council had objected saying there was “a general lack of housing for local people and that there were too many summer homes in the area”.

Cllr Geraint Wyn Parry, the local member for the Teigl ward, had echoed the view, saying he was “not in agreement with the application being approved due to too many summer homes and a housing shortage for local people”.

A report said officers had acknowledged their concerns but it was considered there had been “a provision on new affordable homes” within Llan Ffestiniog.

Officer Aled Lloyd told the meeting it would be “unreasonable to justify a refusal in this instance”. The proposal had been recommended for approval with conditions.

Maggie Francis, speaking for the applicants, told the committee that the dwelling has been “a long established second home, in the same family since 1952”.

The original owner, she said, had been a civil engineer working on the Stwlan Dam which supplied electricity. She said the property had passed down through the family and had become a second home.

She said: “The applicant just wants to be able to rent it out, during the times the family aren’t using it, to help with the upkeep. That is a dual use, a second home, combined with a holiday let.

“This won’t result in the loss of any permanent housing, it has not been a sole occupant house for 50 or 60 years.

“The officer bases his recommendation on the 15% intervention rule, that is the level at which harm is caused to communities, and Welsh language, when holiday home, second home ownership rises above 15%.

“In Llan Ffestiniog the number is 8%, which can be checked with the officer and the department.

“Why there has been the objections, I don’t know, perhaps they think 8% is too high and the policy should be different, but the policy wasn’t forced on them, it was done through a democratic process.

“I have contacted both objectors to say this is a second home already, but that has made no difference.

“This application is not controversial, it is quite straightforward, the objections are completely without merit.”

Planning officers had concluded the plan “poses no conflict with policy and would not result in any harm to the character or housing mix of the area”.

Following a vote to approve, the motion was carried, subject to conditions that it must commence within five years, be in accordance with submitted plans and the use of Welsh (or bilingual) be used in signage and advertising.