Seaside village in Gwynedd deemed ‘worst area’ for planning rule breaches

A GWYNEDD seaside village is among the “worst areas” for planning rule breaches – according to watchdogs protecting Wales’ largest national park.

The attractive Aberdyfi has a “relatively high” number of “compliance concerns” compared to some other areas of the National Park – but it is apparently “not the exception” it has been claimed.

Aberdyfi falls within Eryri National Park. Located where the river Dyfi meets waters of Cardigan Bay, the scenic area is also well known as a popular area for second and holiday homes.

The comments concerning the popular resort, came to light during a meeting of the park’s planning and access committee.

Park planners had met at the Oakley Room, at Plas Tan Y Bwlch, Maentwrog, with other a number of the committee members attending by Zoom.

The meeting had been discussing enforcement notices, listed building notices and section 215 notices served under delegated powers, which were presented in a report.

During the discussion a committee member had requested further details concerning a property at Aberdyfi.

“I have a query, on page 10, chair. Two sheds being used as a holiday accommodation? Blimey! Is there any update on that one?” she had asked.

The comment prompted a further response from another committee, member who said: “One point on this one, I have raised this before, there are more planning breaches in Aberdyfi, if anyone else has noticed?”

“I have said it before, about two years ago, but there are more in Aberdyfi,” said another member of the committee.

When asked to clarify the situation, a spokesperson for the park authority confirmed: “As one of the larger settlements within the National Park, Aberdyfi does have a relatively high number of compliance concerns compared to some other areas of the National Park, according to our records for the past five years. However, this is by no means an exception, as other similarly populated areas have higher compliance cases. In general terms, compliance concerns are expected to be higher in more populated areas than rural ones.”

Covering a total of 823 square miles, Eryri is home to over 26,000 people, around 58 percent of people living there speak Welsh.

The authority cares for the vast area’s nine mountain ranges, its 74
miles of coastline and 11,000 hectares of native woodland.