Rights of way row at ‘I’m a Celebrity’ castle

Richard Evans Local Democracy Reporter

A councillor who is a landowner and member of a licensing and planning committees is forbidden from debating his public-right-of-way application on the grounds of a historic castle.

Cllr Andrew Wood, the vice chair of Conwy’s licensing committee, applied for four routes to be made public right of way on Gwrych Castle’s grounds in Abergele and Llanddulas.

Cllr Wood has made the application under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, and a special licensing committee meeting is set to take place on Monday August 5 to decide the matter.

But council officers are recommending the committee refuses the application, following an independent report concluding there is insufficient evidence to support public-right-of-way routes.

‘Vested interest’

Cllr Wood argues the land has been enjoyed by the public for decades before it was fenced off in recent years. The committee heard how ‘the parcels of land’ belong to landowners such as the castle and Natural Resources Wales.

Cllr Wood didn’t ask for permission to vote at next week’s committee meeting, but applied for dispensation. If dispensation had been granted, it would have allowed him to speak and write to council officers and speak and answer questions whilst remaining in the room at next week’s licensing meeting – despite a personal interest in the matter.

But at a special standards committee meeting today (Monday), Cllr Wood was refused permission to take part, due to the fact he is a serving councillor and a significant landowner in the area with a vested interest.

Numerous letters of objection to the public-right-of-way application were also published in a council report, some accusing Cllr Wood of devaluing properties neighbouring the land and even causing people to sell their homes.

Speaking at the special standards committee meeting, Cllr Andrew Wood, who owns various plots of land adjacent to the castle, including the allotments, said he was applying for the right of way for the good of the community and the 500 or so people backing his application.

Cllr Wood also explained he had compiled a report supporting his application thousands of pages in length that only he would be able to explain.

“Irrespective of whether I’ve enjoyed them (the land for recreation) or not, it is the fact that I need to be able to – I’m asking to be able to represent the 500 and odd statements from people all around the town and ask questions (at the licensing committee),” he said.

“And that is important because when we go to council, council reports, we often have the officers there to answer questions on their reports. This report is predominantly mine.

“A lot of those photographs, all these plans, I’ve drawn up myself. I would say I’ve done the vast majority of work over the last four years in stages. It is me that has the incumbent knowledge of this.”

He added: “All I’m here for, like yourself, is to take questions and be able to explain. I’m not here to muddy the waters. I just want to help the process.”

But questioning Cllr Wood, Cllr Louise Emery pointed to the letters of objection. She said: “Just so I’m clear about the financial interest, why have objectors had to spend money fighting what you are trying to do?

“We’ve had people saying they’ve had to sell their homes or it has devalued their home, which obviously sounds like a bad accusation.”

Cllr Wood responded: “It is a very bad accusation. I’m glad you brought this up because I didn’t want to bring it up because it is a horrible thing that has been levelled against me.

“There is not a single property, as far as I know, in the last ten or fifteen years that has been sold in that area.

“Why somebody says in that letter that we’ve devalued (their home) and that people were forced to move from their homes… it is an outright lie, and I will be asking to take that further forwards. The same lie surfaced in 2021, much the same as I was (accused of) going to convert the castle into a motor-cross track!”

Objections

Gwrych Castle Preservation Trust Ltd’s solicitor sent a letter objecting to Cllr Wood’s plans, a sentiment echoed by several other objectors who wrote to Conwy.

One objector wrote: “Andrew Wood’s involvement in this matter presents a significant conflict of interest, given his status as a landowner with allotments situated within the Gwrych Castle grounds. His ability to engage with officers and participate in meetings regarding his own applications raises concerns about potential bias and attempts to influence the political system for personal gain.”

The letter continued: “The impact of his applications has led some landowners to sell their properties due to the devaluation caused by his actions.”

Another wrote: “The castle trust, a charitable organisation, has been diligently working on restoring the castle since 2014 but has been targeted by Cllr Wood.

“Cllr Wood’s applications pose a serious threat to the castle’s restoration efforts and Natural Resources Wales’ plans to restore the historic landscape. His actions have negatively impacted all his neighbouring properties in order to advance his own development within the parkland, which he acquired in the early 2010s.”

The committee retired to discuss the matter privately.

On the committee’s return, chairman Clive Wolfendale commented: “The land in question and the rights over it and its use in the future is a matter of close personal interest to you (Cllr Wood), given that you have used the land for over four decades for a range of recreational purposes, and you were very clear and open about that, and we took cognizance of that in terms of our decision making and the fact that this clearly remains a matter close to your heart.

“We note your caveats, but you are a landowner in the area, quite a significant landowner in some respects, and therefore because of the proximity – we can argue how close it is  –  but it is within the vicinity of the area under discussion and is land in which you have an interest and which is fairly close to the land in question.”

The chairman added: “It is our view that because of your long-standing and keen personal stand on this matter that public interest may be affected by the fact you are continuing in relation to your public office to pursue this matter.

“You stated that there are people in Abergele who share your view, and there is probably no doubt that is the case. I think your statement ‘It is not just about me’ and that may be true, but it is about you because of your use of the area for (inaudible) purposes in the past and the fact you are a property owner in the vicinity.

“Our conclusion is, and we are unanimous in our judgement, that your application to speak to officers is not supported, nor is your application to write to officers or the council, nor is your application to speak or ask questions at the council or committee meetings, nor your application to remain in the room during any debate.”

The special licensing committee takes place at Bodlondeb next Monday  August 5.