News

Site of controversial housing plan removed from council list

04 Oct 2026 3 minute read

Beech Developments (NW) Ltd, on behalf of housing group Adra are consulting on proposals for 95 affordable properties. Image: LDRS

Richard Evans, Local Democracy Reporter

Land earmarked for 95 affordable homes has been removed from a council’s list of potentially deliverable development sites — though a controversial application to build on the land remains under consideration.

Beech Developments (NW) Ltd applied to Conwy County Council’s planning department in August for 95 affordable homes on land at Gyffin in Conwy.

The land off Llanrwst Road at Gyffin had appeared on the Ranked Sites list in a background paper supporting Conwy County Council’s Replacement Local Development Plan (RLDP) – a paper outlining what can be built and where.

A ranked site is a parcel of land assessed by planners as technically suitable for building but held in reserve rather than formally chosen for development in the main plan.

Despite the planning application remaining with the authority, the council says the site is no longer a “ranked site”.

A Conwy County council spokeswoman commented: “The site is not proposed as an allocation in the RLDP.

“The site was in the Ranked Sites list in the background paper ‘BP6/Site Deliverability Assessment’. Ranked Sites are ranked as potentially deliverable sites but are not required for development in the RLDP.

“As part of the Strategic Planning and Placemaking process, the removal of the site from the Ranked Sites list was proposed and supported by councillors. This recommendation will now form part of the documentation as the RLDP progresses through the Democratic Process.”

She added: “The Council has received a planning application on the site. The planning application will be assessed independently of the RLDP process, taking account of existing planning policies.”

The plans for the new five-hectare estate were submitted on behalf of housing group Adra for agricultural land off Llanrwst Road.

This prompted residents to argue against the development, fearing the estate being built at the brow of a hill could cause the road to become more dangerous.

Others were angry about the loss of green land so close to the World Heritage Site of Conwy, as well as wildlife.

Resident Steve Kilby was pleased about the latest development.

He said: “This is a massive turning point for Gyffin. By removing Site 192 from the Local Plan ranking, the council has rightly recognised what the community has said all along – this Special Landscape Area cannot handle an estate of this size.”

The plans are expected to be debated at a future Conwy County Council Planning committee at the authority’s Coed Pella HQ.

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