Janet Finch-Saunders, Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy, has written to Mr Peter Brown, Head of Regulatory and Housing Services, Conwy County Borough Council, on behalf of many constituents who have raised queries with regards to the planning status of a luxury hotel in Dolgarrog currently used to accommodate asylum seekers.
In the two-page letter which concludes with a request for an investigation as to whether the hotel has now changed to being a hostel, Mrs Finch-Saunders has referred to case law and suggested that a reasonable person could believe that a change of use may have occurred at the hotel.
Commenting after issuing her letter, Janet said:
“The luxury hotel in Dolgarrog is on a site which has received several millions of pounds of Welsh Government funding to be developed as a tourist destination.
“Planning application 0/45515 was for the erection of a new activity building and on-site accommodation through the development of a 106-bedroom hotel. Having checked on the planning portal, I cannot see that any application has been made for change of use from Class C1 (hotel), to a sui generis use as a ‘hostel’.
“In a Planning Appeal decision pertaining to Equity Point, London, the Planning Inspector noted: ‘Given that there is a difference between the 2 uses but no set definition for planning purposes, I consider it to be a matter of common sense and analysis as to when a change of use has occurred’.
“It could be suggested that common sense leads a reasonable person to believe that a change of use may have occurred in Dolgarrog, as such, it is appropriate that Conwy County Borough Council investigate the situation”.
ENDS
Mae Janet Finch-Saunders, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Aberconwy, wedi ysgrifennu at Mr Peter Brown, Pennaeth Rheoleiddio Gwasanaethau Tai, Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy, ar ran llawer o etholwyr sydd wedi cyflwyno ymholiadau ynghylch statws cynllunio gwesty moethus yn Nolgarrog sy’n cael ei ddefnyddio ar hyn o bryd i letya ceiswyr lloches.
Yn y llythyr dwy dudalen sy’n gorffen gyda chais am ymchwiliad i weld a yw’r gwesty wedi newid nawr i fod yn hostel, mae Mrs Finch-Saunders wedi cyfeirio at gyfraith achos ac wedi awgrymu y gallai person rhesymol gredu bod newid defnydd wedi digwydd yn y gwesty.
Gan roi ei sylwadau ar ôl cyhoeddi ei llythyr, dywedodd Janet:
“Mae’r gwesty moethus yn Nolgarrog ar safle sydd wedi derbyn miliynau o bunnoedd o gyllid gan Lywodraeth Cymru i’w ddatblygu fel cyrchfan dwristiaeth.
“Roedd y cais cynllunio 0/45515 ar gyfer codi adeilad gweithgarwch newydd a llety ar y safle drwy ddatblygu gwesty 106 ystafell. Ar ôl chwilio ar y porth cynllunio, ni allaf weld bod unrhyw gais wedi’i wneud i newid defnydd o Ddosbarth C1 (gwesty) i ddefnydd sui generis fel ‘hostel’.
“Mewn penderfyniad Apêl Cynllunio sy’n ymwneud ag Equity Point, Llundain nododd yr Arolygydd Cynllunio: ‘O ystyried bod gwahaniaeth rhwng y 2 ddefnydd ond heb ddiffiniad penodol at ddibenion cynllunio, rwy’n ystyried ei fod yn fater o synnwyr cyffredin a dadansoddiad pan fo newid defnydd wedi digwydd.’
“Gellid awgrymu bod synnwyr cyffredin yn arwain person rhesymol i gredu bod newid defnydd wedi digwydd o bosibl yn Nolgarrog, gan hynny, mae’n briodol bod Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Conwy yn ymchwilio i’r sefyllfa.”
DIWEDD
