The Member of the Welsh Parliament for Aberconwy – Janet Finch-Saunders MS – has spoken of her concern following the news of further delays to the development of the Penmorfa site on the West Shore. According to reporting by the Daily Post, Anwyl Construction say the site is under review due to a spike in build costs.
The site was originally built in the 1860s for the family of Alice Liddell, who author Lewis Carroll is said to have written Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. The developers demolished the “Alice in Wonderland” hotel more than a decade ago and, whilst planning permission was secured, nothing has been built on the site since.
Commenting on the update from the developers, Janet said:
“I was in firm opposition to the demolition of this wonderful building, now over a decade ago, along with many other local residents. The Gogarth Abbey Hotel was an iconic part of the Llandudno landscape and remains a great loss to our historical heritage.
“To have now taken such a backwards step in the plans for this location is a smack in the face to those residents who hold legitimate concerns about Anwyl’s proposed development of the Bodafon Fields/Nant y Gamar Road contingency site, showing a complete disregard for the wishes of local residents.
“As I said in a speech to the Senedd just last month, I remain clear that sites which have long been allocated for development must always be built on before any contingency comes into play. This is why I feel that the repurposing of the Gogarth site should be progressed and approved before any developers should consider the contingency site which borders the Bodafon green wedge.
“Continued inaction on this development means that the location remains a sorry scar on the landscape, failing to address the need for affordable and quality housing across the region. I urge Anwyl to rethink its plans for our area, asking them to bring forward proposals that will be very sensitive and sympathetic to the historical heritage of the location.”
ENDS
Photo: Janet Finch-Saunders MS/AS
