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YesCymru and Cymdeithas yr Iaith back campaign to stop holiday village on nature reserve

05 Jun 2023 3 minute read
Penrhos. Photo by Carneddau is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Campaigners opposing plans to build a 500-chalet holiday village in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty have secured the support of both YesCymru and Cymdeithas yr Iaith.

Holyhead resident Hilary Paterson-Jones who fronts the Save Penrhos Nature Reserve campaign told Nation.Cymru that members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith (Welsh Language Society) and YesCymru will join them in a protest outside Isle of Anglesey County Council offices in Llangefni on Wednesday.

This will coincide with the council’s latest planning meeting to discuss the Land & Lakes application to build the holiday village in Penrhos.

Mrs Paterson-Jones said: “I’m trying to get as many people to come on Wednesday and we are delighted that Cymdeithas yr Iaith and YesCymru have said they’re coming along to support us because this development is detrimental to the Welsh language.”

Based near Windermere in Cumbria, Land & Lakes secured full planning permission for the controversial holiday village at Penrhos, Holyhead in April 2016.

In January of this year the legal team representing the campaign against the holiday village sent Anglesey Council planners a solicitor’s letter which claimed Land & Lakes planning permission was no longer valid because they hadn’t made a “material start” on the development.

The council believes a start has been made and that therefore the planning permission granted is now in perpetuity.

The Penrhos coastal nature reserve was listed an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) back in 1967. It’s also a conservation area and parts of it are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Parts of the 27-acre ancient woodland dates back to the 1700s and is full of a variety of flora, fauna and wildlife. Red squirrels, bats, badgers, foxes and insects are amongst the many native species who live there. Mrs Paterson-Jones said she will tie herself to one of the trees to stop developers from chopping them down.

New development

Campaigners recently secured the services of an experienced chartered surveyor who lives on Anglesey and who is providing them with consultancy work free of charge.

Mrs Paterson-Jones said the surveyor accompanied her to Penrhos last week and has stated that there’s a huge question mark over the alleged “material start” which Anglesey planners and Land & Lakes claims to have taken place.

“The chartered surveyor told me that no way is it a material start of what Land & Lakes call a world class leisure village. This surveyor laughed and the full survey carried out is now with our barrister along with photographic evidence. The chartered surveyor’s report backs us up 100%.”

In August of last year, the 200 acre-park at Penrhos was named the UK’s Favourite Park for 2022 following a public vote.

This was the first time a Welsh park had claimed the top spot in a vote organised by charity Fields in Trust.


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Mab Meirion
Mab Meirion
9 months ago

What a shame, the ruination of a little Eden…

Dai Rob
Dai Rob
9 months ago

Awful project, in every way!!!

Rhufawn Jones
Rhufawn Jones
9 months ago

Ynys Môn councilors will be falling over each other to pass it, as they see no further than the supposed great jobs that will come with it, and the supposedly huge economic benefit (despite tourism in Wales being an extractive economy). I was there in that sad meeting in 2016. Heartbreaking. The council had to break something like 13 of their own policies to pass the original application. Land and Lakes should go and trash the Lake District. Gwir y gair – ‘mor glên am aur gelynion, ac mor rad y Gymru hon’. Môn Mam Cymru? Môn hwran Lloegr! –… Read more »

Last edited 9 months ago by Rhufawn Jones
Richard Thomas
Richard Thomas
9 months ago
Reply to  Rhufawn Jones

Land and Lakes shouldn’t go an trash anywhere; we shouldn’t turning this into a fight with the victims becoming our virtual compatriots in Hen Ogledd instead. These are people who face a very similar threats to their communities. Let’s not find a way to make enemies of the people who should be our friends. Cumbria and Cymru are not so different; there is a lot of commonality with people in North Wales and the Lake District.
What we need is better local decision making. What hope is there for Wales if our own local representatives sell out in this way?

Last edited 9 months ago by Richard Thomas
Frank
Frank
9 months ago

More outside developers ruining Cymru. Let’s hope there are no corrupt councillors backing the scheme.

hdavies15
hdavies15
9 months ago
Reply to  Frank

Councillors corrupted by the illusion of job creation and “benefits” of investment. Where’s their bloody green gospel when it’s needed?

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